The 550th Hunger Games
by Tobias Stewart
Summary: The capitol got bored with the same old Hunger Games. The Game makers needed a new kind of games. This year the tributes will compete in the greatest arena ever.
1. Sponsorship stuff

ATTENTION if you are not signing up to be a sponsor you can skip the rest of this chapter! If you are planning on being a sponsor you must sign up before the first chapter of the games.

Now I will explain how the sponsorship will work. If you want to be a sponsor PM me and tell me. All sponsors will be given 5 starting points which will be used to buy gifts. You can earn more points as the story progresses, the ways to get more points are outlined below.

Creating a tribute-+5 points

If your tribute is chosen-+5 points

Review- +3 point

Ideas for gifts (with point values)-+2 up to 10 ideas

Ideas for ways to earn points (with point values)- +3 points

ways to lose points

correct my grammar: -2 points (you can correct my spelling if it bothers you that much)

List of gifts you can give to tributes

Before I tell you the list I have to tell you the rules.

You can only give gifts to POV tributes

You can only give a limit of 1 gift to a tribute per chapter. You CAN give gifts to multiple tributes, but only one per tribute.

No game altering gifts (these would mostly be like when we are in the final 2 or 3, you would not be allowed to send a gift that would make someone immune to someones weapons [Cato's body armor] or anything like that)

I am the final ruling as to what constitutes "game altering" (this keeps the game fair)

Life saving medicine is not considered a game altering gift (if you can afford it) but you can only save someone once so choose carefully

I think that's it, sorry this is so long guys I'm just trying to be detailed

Gifts:

Food: (almost all food comes in a free pot, basket, canteen..etc.)

water-1 point

Bread-1 point (no packaging)

Broth-1 point

15 crackers-1 point

Meat-3 points

Cooked Meat-4 points

vegetables-2 points

cooked vegetables-2 points

fishing bait-3 points

cooked fish-2 points

Lamb stew-5 points

4 apples-3 points

3 Bananas-3 points

5 baby bell cheese wheels (they are little 1-inch wheels of cheese)-2 points

Weapons:

knife-5 points

Dagger-5 points

Sword-8 points

Ax-6 points

Spear-6 points

Bow and 12 arrows- 7 points

Blow gun and 12 poison darts- 4 points

Trident-10 points

Wire-4 points

Flail-5 points

Medicine/First-Aid:

Sleep Syrup-2 points

Burn Medicine-8 points

Bandages 1ft-1 point

First Aid kit (bandages, fever pills, rubbing alcohol, antibiotics, and instructions on making a tourniquet) – 7 points

Small Book of Medical Plants (Tracker Jacker plant, Aloe plant..etc.)-4 points

Life Saving Medicine- as the situation varies so does the price and the type of medicine so PM me if you want this and we can work out a price

For now that's it, remember you guys get points for submitting your own ideas.

Just PM me with the thing you want to buy and I'll incorporate the gifts into the story as they are given. The only problem is that sometimes you might send me a gift after I've almost finished a chapter or something like that, so your gift might not come in immediately but it depends on the situation.

When you PM me to tell me you want to be a sponsor tell me if you made a tribute and what that tributes name was also if you have any ideas about the story at that time just tell me then, you'll still be able to tell me anytime throughout the story but why not get a head start. You do have to sign up before the first chapter of the games.

P.S. Although I will be keeping track of every bodies points you may want to keep track of your own to make sure I don't make a mistake

PPS Here is the tribute form in case you want to make one (or another for more points. You can make up to 3)

**Gender (m/f):Male**

**Name: Soarin Livingston**

**District: 1**

**Hobby/Job(example: Katniss hunts to provide for her family and Peeta works in the Bakery): Career training**

**Appearance:Blonde hair, 6'2" thresh-like**

**Physical Attributes (strength, speed, can use weapons..etc.): strong, good with weapons, not agile**

**Mental Attributes (clever, determined, crazy..etc.): willing to kill, no fear**

**Family (background if important, if not I can make it up): No real family issues his father wants him to win**

**Friends (Family and Friends are the ones who will come to say goodbye): best friend-torrin bale, his girlfriend-shine pattership**

**Any Other Special Talents: **


	2. District1 reaping

**Chapter One the Reapings**

**District One Soarin Livingston**

**It's funny really, you wait your whole life for one moment. You center everything you do around this one moment, train for 16 years for this one moment. Then finally, after years of waiting, the moment comes. Everything you have done for your hole life leaves your mind and the only thing you can do is scream.**

"**WAIT"**

**The District 1 escort, a man named Condor, looks up along with the previously drawn tributes who were just about to shake hands.**

"**Wait!" I yell again, this time at a lower volume. I run out to the aisle leading to the stage and say with desperation "I volunteer as tribute."**

**Condor smiles, along with the previous boy tribute who seems very relieved.**

"**Wonderful! Come on up here then!" Condor says not very surprised.**

**Volunteers are common in District 1, we are one of the career districts. A few kids every year go into special schools and train with weapons and martial arts. Then when they think they're ready they volunteer to go to the Hunger Games. We almost always win. Some do it for the district pride some do it for the money some do it for the district gifts, some, including me, do it for the fame. **

**As I walk up to the stage my dress shoes clack on the pavement. All the things I should say when I get on that stage flash through my mind, but none of them stay long enough for me to even register what they were. On my way I pass the original boy tribute, I don't know him but when we pass he whispers "Thank you." _Your welcome_ I think.**

**I step on stage and Condor asks me my name, "Soarin Livingston." **

**He holds my arm in the air as if I've won a boxing match, "Lets have a hand for Soarin Livingston!" The crowd gives a halfhearted round of applause and I smile and give a bow. "well what are you doing shake hands and lets get on with it!" Condor says hurriedly. **

**For the first time I look at my fellow tribute, unfortunately I recognize her. She's dating my best friend, Crassus dime. Her name is Shine Pattership, the three of us have been training side by side for 8 years she's the hottest girl in District 1, which I guess will be an advantage for her in the interviews. She looks absolutely breath taking in a short black dress that hugs her curves and doesn't go past her knees, I guess she's starting the hunt for sponsors now. I shake hands with her but I am scanning the crowd for Crassus, I find him and he has a look of horror on his face, seeing his 2 best friends go into the arena must not be easy. We are escorted into a room in the justice building, normally we would be taken to separate rooms but the building is under construction so we have to share our goodbyes with each other. The first ones in are our families. My mother rushes in to hug me, my father stays at the door. When my mother releases me from her death grip my father comes over and gives me a firm handshake "For a second there I thought you were going to chicken out." he says.**

"**Who, me?" I ask nervously because in fact I was about to chicken out.**

**We sit for a while more and my mom holds my hand and hugs me while my dad goes over strategies for the games. Meanwhile Shines parents are hugging her and crying her, which is a bit of a surprise because she's been training for the games since she was 8 and her parents have been supporting her. Before I know it the peace keeper is there telling us that it's time to go. Both of our families leave with a few last goodbyes, and then Crassus is there, he looks from me to Shine. He crosses to Shine and kisses her then stands there and just hugs her for a minute. I feel like the third wheel until they both come over to me and we sit around in circle like we did when we were kids and stare at each other for a few minutes. Crassus speaks first, "I know only one of you can come out alive, and I want you to know that which ever one of you does, I won't resent you for it. Just don't kill each other, ok?"**

**I simile, Crassus has always been the cool calm one in our group.**

**Shine speaks next, "I don't want to think about the games right now, can we talk about something else?"**

"**What else is there?" I ask with a sad tone in my voice.**

**None of us has an answer so we just sit in silence until the peacekeeper comes and gets Crassus. He gets a panicked look and tries to get back to Shine but another peacekeeper grabs him and drags him out "I love you!" he yells just as the door closes.**

"**I love you too.." I yell back jokingly but Shine doesnt respond she just smiles halfheartedly and sits down on the couch. She doesn't stay there for long because before long another peacekeeper is there to take us to the train.**


	3. District 2 Reapings

**District 2 Reapings**

**Alex Storm**

**I look into the mirror as I pull up my tie. My mother comes over and smiles at me in the mirror, "I can't believe its finally time for you to go." she says, I think I can see a tear forming and she tries to blink it away.**

"**You don't need to worry about me. I've trained my whole life for this! Plus both my parents are victors!" I say with so much confidence that I think she might have stopped crying. Unfortunately I see another tear beginning to form. I turn around and she straightens my tie. My father walks in and claps me on the shoulder.  
>"There's my man! Don't worry I paid all the other careers to wait a year to volunteer...this is gunna be your year buddy!" I smile and push pass them, feeling embarrassed. Although I have trained my whole life for this and both my parents are victors I'm still really nervous.<strong>

**I walk outside and see my two best friends Felix Voss and Lexi Scott. "Hey!" Lexi yells as I walk over to her **

"**You ready for today?" Felix asks**

"**You know it," I say with confidence "take notes, you're gunna be doing the same thing next year!" I laugh and he scowls.**

"**So what do you guys want to do?" He asks.**

"**Lets go to the square I want to see if I can find a gift for my sister" Lexi says.**

**We end up in a little store that sells leather bracelets, we are all children of past of victors so we all have plenty of money to spend on gifts and clothes. Just as we're heading out of the shop we hear the whistle far off in the distance that signals 20 minutes to the reapings. Lexi has to run home to give the bracelet to her little sister so Felix and I head over to the reapings and stand with the other 17 year-olds.**

"**You ready for this?" Felix asks as he buttons his suit jacket and straightens his tie.**

**I laugh and say "You already asked that."**

"**Oh...right."**

**I smile and laugh but behind my happy face I am terrified. I know that I'm a career and I have been trained for the games but careers don't always win. If I don't win...I lose.**

**Lexi shows up just as I'm having my mental breakdown and she can see behind the mask. I don't know how but Lexi can always tell when I'm hiding something, once I threw a surprise party for her birthday and all I needed to say was "Hi" for her to know something was up.**

"**Whats wrong Alex?" she asks innocently even though I'm pretty sure she already knows why I'm upset.**

**I try to hide my fear "Nothing just a little nervous."**

**She immediately sees behind my veil of courage and pulls me into a huge bear hug. It's comforting even though I'm about a foot taller than her so it's a little like being hugged by a toddler. "Jeez Lex, he's just a little nervous you don't need to crush his spine," Felix says with a chuckle. Lexi lets me out of her death grip and smiles at me. I turn toward the stage as our escort a short woman named Gazelle, with large antlers and swirling tattoos all over her body, says "I suppose we'll do ladies first this year," and crosses to the bowl. She reaches in and with a flick of her wrist she draws a small slip out of the bowl. "May Winters!" she says in her ridiculous capitol accent. A short girl in a pale blue "hand-me-down" dress makes her way up to the stage. She looks horrified until a bigger, better dressed girl, steps out into the isle and says calmly "I volunteer." May Winters quickly shuffles off stage as the escort asks the new girls name, "Cherry Willis," she says with confidence.**

**Gazelle asks for a round of applause and it is given without much enthusiasm.**

"**Now for the boys," She crosses to the boys bowl and with another lightning quick flick of her wrist she has another slip. "Alex storm!" she reads and I'm almost to the fact that Lexi has grabbed my hand to realize that it's my name she has just read. It finally registers that I need to go up to the stage and all the other kids make a path to the isle and I take 2 steps and pass out. The last thing that goes through my mind before I sink into the black abyss is that I will be on a train far away from District 2 when I wake up and I won't get to say goodbye to Lexi. **


	4. District 3 reapings

**District 3 Reapings**

**Enjinia Minol**

**I start to roll the wires back from the pile of explosives. I roll it back at least a half a mile and down into the blast bunker that District 3 set up for explosive experiments. I turn towards my father "Would you like to do the honors?"**

**He smiles and says "Are you sure?"**

**I bend over and hand him the detonator, "Of course, you let me set it up you should get to press the button."**

**we both face the window and he begins the count down, "3, 2, 1..." he presses the small red button. At first we don't see or hear anything and I'm afraid I set up the dynamite wrong, but then I see a massive fiery mushroom cloud and feel the shock wave throw me back a foot, even my fathers wheel chair is pushed back a foot. I look over with a huge grin on my face but my father has the opposite look on his face "The peacekeepers are not going to be happy about that wave," he says while shaking his head.**

"**Oh please dad, my burps have bigger shock waves than that." I say trying to deter his anger before it escalates.**

"**This isn't a joke! That shock wave could have broken windows in town and everyone knows that we are responsible!" **

**I try once more to calm him down, "Dad please don't worry if anything goes wrong I'll take the blame. Let's just go home and get ready for the reapings."**

**He seems to let go of some of his anger when he realizes that I'm right and we need to be going back. That doesn't stop him from complaining the whole ride back. The subway in District 3 is the only one in all of Panem, it runs from the bomb range to the city. You could walk to the bomb range but it's about 2 miles from the city so it would take a long time to get there. My father takes me to the range every Sunday and every holiday...including reaping day. We used to go a lot more but after the explosion at the factory my father was paralyzed from the waist down and he was often to tired to make the trip. Before the accident he taught me all he knew about explosives, with some experiments at the bomb range I figured out how to make bombs out of natural elements like potassium and sodium. My dad used to work at a bomb factory that experimented with new types of bombs. One day one of their experiments when wrong and my dad was paralyzed and hasn't been the same since. After that I took a job at the bomb factory and took his place as the provider.**

**When we get home I lay out a dress shirt and tie for him and head into my room to get ready. I throw on a green dress with black flowers on it and run a brush through my hair a few times. When I walk down stairs my father is waiting for me and "You look nice" he says with a smile**

"**Thank you," I say as I push him out the door and we head off to the reapings.**

**Finn Torris **

**Reaping day is the worst. Maybe to some people reaping day is a holiday to hang out with their friends and sleep in, with a slight chance of them being sent to their deaths. The only problem with that is that every year someone _is_ sent to their death no matter how slight their chance. And 4 years ago that person was my sister, Sarah. She was seventeen and hadn't even taken a tesserae so she only had 5 slips. None of us were old enough to volunteer, there was nothing we could do to help her. I've made my peace with her death, my parents on the other hand are still emotionally burdened about it. So as I walk down stairs I try to slip out the door without waking them because they would probably trap me into an awkward silent breakfast, all of us holding in our feelings. Instead I choose to go outside and meet up with my friends, Genesis and Darryl. I feel the looming presence of the reapings for a second and I almost break down, but I just push it out of my mind and walk over to Darryl. "Hey whats up?" I say as we do our handshake, he holds his hand vertically and I poke my finger on it making 'beep boop' sounds as if it's a keypad, after four pokes Darryl imitates a computerized voice and says, "Access granted." We both laugh and he replies to my original question, "Not much I had to sneak out of my house before my parents started attacking me with hugs." Darryl's parents are very over protective and the reapings make them worry about losing Darryl. We start to walk to Genesis's house because her parents are wealthy business owners she lives almost in the center of town. It's not a long walk but we have to walk by victor village to get there and it's a pretty depressing sight. District 3 only has 1 victor and he is a total drunk. Since he's the only one living in victor village he tends to leave his lawn a wreck and it usually smells like the dumpster of a fart factory. The worst part is that on reaping day he stands out front shouting things at kids like "You're next!" As I pass he looks me right in the eye and says "Your sister was drawn, you know how real this can get!" at that I want to go and knock the yellow teeth right out of his mouth but Darryl holds me back.**

**It takes the rest of the walk to calm me down but somehow Darryl manages. When Genesis opens her door I smell fresh pancakes and I realize I never ate breakfast. "Do you guys want to go to the square before the reapings?" I ask because sometimes the shop owners are feeling generous and give kids free rolls or candy.**

"**Yeah I'm starving," Darryl adds. So we set off for the square, which isn't that far of a walk because Genesis's house is only a few blocks away. As we get closer we see the team of workers hired to set up the sound system that will project the names of the "lucky" boy and girl that are chosen all around the square.**

**I see Mr. Ross the bakery owner and we head over to him. He is seeming especially generous and gives us each a roll freshly baked roll. As we each tear into the warm bread we hear a faint boom in the distance and see smoke, a second later there's a shock wave that's powerful enough to knock over the pedestals the reaping balls will sit on. Fortunately the giant glass bowls have not been put up yet and a few peacekeepers just put the pedestals upright again. "That was weird," Darryl says. Normally it wouldn't be that strange, the local bomb factory uses the bomb range almost every day, but it's reaping day which means there shouldn't be any tests today. It doesn't matter though because just as I finish my roll my watch beeps telling me it's time to head home and get dressed.**

**Enjinia Minol**

**We arrive just as the crowds are rushing in and are lost in the sea of people, which is a good thing because the peacekeepers will definitely be on the look out for us. My dad goes over to the parents area and I go and stand with the other 15 year-old's. The Mayor steps up and gives his long speech about the Treaty of Treason, which I tune out remembering the huge explosion I set off only a half-hour or so ago. The escort steps up, a cheery woman named, Rolanda with bright blue skin and red tattoos snaking all around her arms and legs. She gives a short speech about what an honor it is to be here and then she says "We'll ladies first I suppose!" As she crosses to the girls bowl I have to admit I am scared, since my fathers accident I have had to take a few tesseraes to put food on the table. I'm not sure exactly how many times my name is in, but I know the odds are not in my favor. Rolanda is now at the microphone, she unfolds the white slip, and reads the name.**

"**Enjinia Minol!" the silly capitol accent distracts me for a second but then I realize that it's my name that was said in the silly capitol accent. All the other kids have already made a path for me and I have to choice but to grimly make my way up to the stage. Rolanda asks for volunteers and not even the wind is there to save me. I'm not surprised, I work full time at the factory and the only free time I have is spent at the bomb range with my father so I don't have many friends, certainly none that would volunteer for me. I'm surprised at how calmly I'm taking this, I assure myself that the full realization of what has happened will hit me later. And just as I think this Rolanda crosses to the boys bowl.**

**Finn Torris**

**I don't know the girl tribute but I have seen her around school and I remember seeing her at the ceremony for the children of factory workers that were killed or injured. I don't really have time to think about her at the moment because Rolanda is reaching her bright blue arm into the boys reaping bowl. The odds are sort of in my favor I've only had to take 2 or 3 tesseraes but still I can't help but be scared, Rolanda is now making her way back to the microphone, white slip in hand. I close my eyes and focus in on her stupid capitol accent as she reads the name "Darryl Claymore!" she reads with so much enthusiasm that I want to vomit. I see Darryl take a step forward and that is enough to snap me out of my nausea. A million things flash through my mind in a second, watching Sarah's games, watching Sarah die, the feeling I had when I saw her die, the months of emotional instability that my parents went through, then I remember that Darryl is my best friend and if I let him go into the games I would be condemning another person I love to their death. The thought of losing my best friend is enough to make me break into a sprint for the isle before he can take another step. I reach the isle and don't stop until I'm on stage. "Are you Darryl?" Rolanda asks confused at my speedy entrance.**

**I blush embarrassed at how I reacted, "No, actually I'm volunteering in Darryl's place."**

**Rolanda frowns, she usually doesn't have to deal with eager volunteers. "We'll you're supposed to wait for me to ask for volunteers but since your here I suppose we could skip that part." I give an apologetic smile and step back into the boy tributes spot. "Let's have a hand for the boy and girl tributes from district 3!" Rolanda announces with a bit of uncertainty. Enjinia and I meet in the middle of the stage and shake hands. And with that my immanent death was secured.**


	5. District 5 reapings

**Hey guys it's me, your writer! I just figured out how to do these notes thanks to kmorri117, you should check out his story, The 450****th**** Hunger games, it's a great read! (Here's the link: **.net/s/7698543/4/The_450th_Hunger_Games **)**** Anyway I figured you guys might be getting a little bored with all these reapings so I'm going to only do 2 more and then we will move on! Also about the sponsorship points I forgot to put the random word in each chapter but I will start now, remember it's worth 2 points if you find it**

District 5 reapings

Nicole Black

For some reason my parents like the Hunger Games. Obviously I think they're horrible, especially since I'm eligible, I guess since my parents were never chosen and they don't have to live in fear of the games anymore, they can enjoy them. Another reason is that they own the largest mutt making laboratory for the capitol. A lot of people don't know this but most of the mutt's that are used in the games come from District 5 and not the capitol. We have 3 as pets, they are adorable but it's hard for me to look at them without seeing all the horrible things mutts just like them have done to tributes.

All of this crosses my mind as I get dressed for the reapings, they aren't for a few hours but I'm leaving to hang out with my friends, Zach and Cameron. I grab a blue sundress with white polka-dots that comes down to my knees a white sweater to wear over it. I walk down stairs and see my parents on the couch watching recaps of the reapings from other districts that have happened so far. "I'm heading out I'll see you there," I say as I walk out the door, knowing they won't even bother to look up. They make bets every year, and watching the reapings usually gives them an edge. As I walk out the door I see Zach and Cameron talking outside Cameron's house which is right next door. I walk over to them, "You look nice," I say to Cameron, and he does, he's wearing a white shirt with a black tie and nice black pants. I look over at Zach and "oh dear," slips out of my mouth before I can stop it.

Cameron bursts out laughing and Zach frowns and says "I know it's horrible my mom said I would look 'handsome' but that's what I get for taking fashion advice from my mom." He looks a little bit like a walking dance party, his shirt is bright orange but it seems to be made out of some sort of shiny material and scattered all around the shirt are little multicolored polka-dots that seem to be made out of the same shiny material, his pants are a neon green that almost hurts to look at. I smile and say "No really...it's not that bad," but my lie is completely transparent and it send Cameron into another fit of laughter and Zach just looks up and smiles at my effort to make him feel better.

After Cameron finishes his laughing, we head to the Mutt factory and go down to the basement. I realize that may seem kind of sketchy but my parents hooked it up for us so we can have out own private hang out. There's a fridge with soda and junk food, a pool table a huge T.V. (that my parents use to watch the games on) and a bunch of bean bags and couches everywhere. We each grab a soda and Cameron flops down on a beanbag chair as Zach racks up the pool table for him and me to play.

"You guys scared for the reapings?" Cameron asks from his bean bag.

"Not really, why?" Zach asks because none of us have taken a tesserea so we have no reason to be scared.

"I'm scared," Cameron says as he takes a drink.

We sit in silence until I chuckle and say "Ok I'll bite. Why are you scared Cameron?" I say that last part in a sarcastic tone to let him know that I don't really care.

"The reapings are rigged," he pauses, "duh."

I sink one of the pool balls and look up "Why would you think that?"

He answers as if he's been thinking about this for a while, "Just think about, last year the girl was dating the boy, the year before that the mayors son went in, the year before that the girl's eggo was prego...if you know what I mean. The list goes on and on! The game makers choose who goes in, who knows what could happen!"

Zach and I look at each other and we both roll our eyes. Zach turns and looks at Cameron, "So how do you think the game makers choose?"

Cameron looks at him like he's the dumbest person on earth, "They just want a good show and they will take anyone who will make the games interesting!" they just go on arguing like that until my watch beeps signaling time to go to the reapings, and they keep arguing all the way there.

The mayor finishes reading the treaty of treason, his voice was a little shaky because two years ago his daughter died in the hunger games and he still hasn't fully recovered. As the mayor shuffles off stag our escort hops on stage. Our escort is by far the weirdest looking person in all of Panem. She has all the normal capitol stuff, golden tatoos aon her arms, artificially colored lips and eyes, but she is over seven feet tall and instead of hair has these weird needle things that are 3 inches long and jut out of her head like she's some sort of voodoo doll, as if that wasn't weird enough she has a long tail that is flexible and dexterous that she uses to pull the names every year. By far the weirdest things though are her enormous wings that come out of her back they stretch about 12 feet (she makes sure to mention her wingspan every year) most of the time she keeps them folded up but shes claims she can fly with them, I don't believe her though. As she starts to speak I roll my eyes at how dumb she sounds "Oh dear, this place is beautiful isn't it! As you may have noticed I had my lips re-done, they are lavender instead of purple, and I had my wingspan lengthened 2 and a quarter inches, that makes it 12 feet and 8 ¼ inches long! Oh what am I saying of course you noticed! It's like I'm a whole new person!"

I lean over to Zach, "I think I'm gunna hurl, will you hold my hair back?"

He just laughs and shushes me because the reapings are about to begin. I look over and sure enough Claudet (that's our escorts name by the way) is walking towards the boys bowl, she turns her back to it and her tail drops in and hands her a slip. She walks back to the microphone, which is quite a difficulty in 7-inch heels. She unfolds the slip and I look over at Cameron who is so pale he could pass out right there. "Joey Alvey!" Claudet almost screams it into the microphone. A second later I see a small scrawny 14 year-old making his way up to the stage. I don't know him but I still feel bad, he's so small he'll barley last a minute in the arena. I don't really have time to worry about Mr. Alvey over there because Claudet is now wobbling over to the girls bowl. Once again she turns her back to the bowl and waits as her freakish tail dips and and snatch's a name out of the bowl. On her way back to the microphone she stumbles a bit which makes me smile. I can't smile long though because she has made it to the microphone and is about to read the name, "Nicole Black! Come on up here sweetie!"

On my way up to the stage only one thought comes into my mind: Cameron was right,the game makers just want me in the arena so one of my parents creations can brutally tear me apart.

**Hey guys I hope you liked it! Just so you know I just started school and the work load is pretty heavy so I may not be updating as frequently. Also if you didn't like it or at least have any tips or criticisms feel free to leave a review! Also the SYOT is officially closed! You cans still make tributes but they won't be POV's and you can still be a sponsor but you can only sponsor POV tributes. **


	6. The Reading of the card

**Hey guys, so I was going to do District 7 reapings but I decided to do something different. My friend Lizzie had an idea for a quarter quell, so this is now the 550****th**** games and this is the card reading. All the tributes will be the same and the sponsorship points did not change but the games will be more...exciting. Don't worry my "special" arena** **will still be in the games but there is still this twist.**

President Holt

I look into the mirror and see the dark bags under my eyes. I was up all night tossing and turning and these bags will simply not due for today's ceremony. I know that my stylist, Phoenix Burns, will make me look spectacular but I cannot stand showing weakness so I must get rid of these dark circles before I leave the bathroom. Fortunately I live in the most lavish place in the world and absolutely everything is at my disposal. "Eye injection please," I say clearly to the mirror. A moment later there is a knock on my door and I open to find an avox kneeling, holding a silver platter with a small needle on it. I snatch the needle and slam the door in the avox's face. Without hesitation I plunge the needle into my skin just below my eye. I watch in admiration as the bags under my eyes recede and return to normal skin color which makes me look well rested and confident. I walked out of the bathroom and out into the hallway where a team of avox's stood round the clock to satisfy my needs. I walked past them without even making eye contact. My personal assistant, Bane, met me at the end of the hallway and began talking immediately, "Good morning sir. I cleared all your non-ceremony appointments. The card reading will be at noon and after breakfast we must head directly to your dressing room where Phoenix will be waiting with your outfit, then we will do a quick meet and greet with some of the people who will be funding this years Hunger Games. Then we go directly to the card reading which should only take about fifteen minutes and you have a private lunch with the head game maker about this years arena, he says he has a surprise for you." At this point he pauses for a breath and I interrupt him, "That'll do for now Bane. What are we having for breakfast?" I say as I sit down at the table. He looks down at his tablet and taps a few times "They went continental this morning, scrambled eggs toast and ham, bacon, or sausage."

Just as Bane predicted another team of avox's arives with plates filled with steaming food. As we eat Bane babbles on about the schedule but I zone out and go to wondering what will be on the card. The game makers obviously know what is on the card they have been working on this arena for years, but some things are off limits to even the president. We finish eating and head to the dressing room where Phoenix puts me in a simple black suit that matches my straight black hair. He barley has time to tell me one of his meaningless stories before I'm whisked away to the investors meeting. I shake many hands and take many pictures but my mind stays on the card, last quell the boys and the girls were put into separate arenas and then the top six of each battled in a different arena. Four quells ago, the tributes had to select teams of five so a total of 120 kids went into the arena, that was one of my favorite games. As soon as I am done shaking the last hand Bane grabs me and practically pulls me to the monstrous living room of the palace. It has over 10 living rooms obviously but this one has a balcony that over looks the capitol and it's the one we use for the reading of the card. I straighten my hair and my tie and look at Bane. He looks me up and down and gives me a thumbs up before going back to tapping away on his tablet. I turn around and before I can get nervous walk out onto the balcony.

A deafening applause awaits me, I stare out at the freakish crowd before me. With their strange tattoos and hair colors, I never understood the capitols fashion sense, I prefer my suits and trimmed black beard. I walk up to the podium that has been put here for this occasion. "Hello Panem!" I say my voice booming from an unseen microphone. "Today we find out the twist for the 18th Quarter Quell!" As soon as I say this a young boy in a suit similar to mine walks out carrying a large wooden bock with the seal of Panem inscribed on the top. He holds the box open for me and I take the envelope marked _450_ and hold it up for the capitol. They scream wildly at the sight of it. I rip open the envelope and grab the 3X5 square inside "As a reminder to the Districts that they didn't know what they were getting into when they rebelled," I say in a ceremonious voice "the twist for this years games will be revealed after the tributes enter the arena." The monstrous crowd breaks into murmurs that quickly escalate into shouts of excitement. I quickly exit the stage before the excitement turns to rage and confusion.

Octavious is 15 minutes late to lunch. One is not late to lunch with the president. Even if they are the head game maker. Octavious better hope that his "surprise" is worth my time. Just as I'm thinking this a short man with an orange beard and bright red hair that looks like flames walks in carrying a manila folder. Without a word he sits down and begins eating. "Excuse me, but who do you th-" he interrupts me by tossing the folder down in front of me. I look down at it, then back up at him. I could have him executed for acting like this around me, but I am in a good mood so I simply pic up the folder and open it. What I see amazes me, "You can do this?" I ask.

"It's done." he says as he takes another bite of chicken.

I smile, and that smile turns into a grin, "this is good, very, very, good."

**Just so you guys know the SYOT is closed! I'm really sorry if I didn't use your tribute and I promise I had my reasons! Sorry if this wasn't the best chapter I've been pretty sick btw updates will come slower because school has started and I have homework. I hope you liked this reviews are greatly appreciated. One last thing: on the sponsorship points list I put "find the random word" I forgot to do that sorry but I will try to do it from now on (not in this chapter). **


	7. Train Rides and Goodbyes

**So, this chapter is going to be ridiculously long because it includes the train rides of all the tributes and the goodbyes of the tributes I forgot to do. Also I need to clear a few things up, I haven't been keeping track of my own story very well which is embarrassing. Remember back in chapter six when I said I was going to start to do the random word? I forgot to do the random word, but it's in this chapter and it will be in every chapter from here on out. Also the arena twist and the quell twist will both be revealed at the start of the games which is only three chapters away (not including this one). Anyway leave a review about what you think! **

**PS: I had to add to Soarin's back story because of the quarter quell sorry if it's confusing.**

**PPS: I also had to add to Nicole's back story for the same reason, sorry.**

* * *

><p><strong>Soarin Livingston<strong>

District 1 is by far the richest and most luxurious districts but the train that the capitol sent has so many expensive foods and materials that I don't even know where to start. When Shine and I stepped on Condor told us that anything we needed was at our disposal and all we had to do was ask. Naturally Shine and I had to test this out so we thought up the most ridiculous request. We ended up asking one of the attendants for a goose dressed in a tuxedo to be released in Condor's room, the attendant looked confused for minute but then he shrugged and walked away to fulfill our silly request. Shine and I burst out laughing when Condor finds us and announces we will be having goose for dinner.

If the train wasn't enough the food is spectacular. The goose has some sort of lemon sauce that explodes in my mouth with every bite. Condor orders us both something called milkshakes and a moment later a capitol. Attendant brings out large glasses filled with a thick white liquid, when I take a drink it takes a minute for the creamy liquid to inch its way up the straw but when it arrives in my mouth there is an explosion of cold creamy vanilla.

Even though the train is the most lavish thing I have ever experienced, my mind can't help but wander to my little sister, who I saw before the reapings. I was just about to walk downstairs when Kelly burst into my room and shut the door.

"_I hope you know I don't support this."_

"_Yes I know Kelly but dad will be crushed if I don't do it." I said_

"_Who cares about dad! Your life is at stake! I just don't get why you're doing this!"_

"_You'll understand when you're older..."_

"_I'm only two years younger than you!"_

"_Look Kelly I love you more than anything you know that right?"_

"_Yeah and I love you too so...I just don't want you to die!" _

"_I promise Kelly I won't die, and I promise that I will always be there for you."_

"_I'm not going to come say goodbye."_

"_What! Why not?"_

"_This isn't going to be goodbye...You're going to come back so why should I say goodbye?"_

_I just stared at her._

_All of a sudden she ran forward and hugged me, "Just...come back ok?"_

knock knock

A knock at the door jolts me out of my memories. I look at the clock and realize it's far past lights out and I've been lying here in my pajamas for 2 hours. I climb out of the bed which is only a twin because of the train's width. I open the door and am surprised at what I find. Shine is there, her eyes are blood shot and she keeps wiping her nose. "Hey wha-" I start to say but before I can get two words out Shine has her arms wrapped around me and she's crying into my shoulder. "are you ok?" I ask even though it's obvious that she is not ok.

"No! Why would I be okay? Only one of us can come out of this alive!" despite her mean tone she continues crying into my shoulder. What she says surprises me, it was the last thing I expected to hear at 1:30 at night, despite my surprise I close the door and lead her to the bed.

"Look we don't know what's going to happen in there! We still don't know what this years quarter quell is so there is always hope," I stroke her hair she looks me in the eyes with a look of fear. It surprises me, in all the years I've known Shine she has never been afraid of anything, she is always the first one to volunteer to do sparring sessions with dangerous weapons, and she has always been the most enthusiastic about going into the games.

"How can you be so calm? One of us is going to die, only one of us is going back to their family and Crassus! What if neither of us go back!" she says this last part with a breath of despair, as if she's already given up.

Right there I made a decision, "It's going to be you, you're the one that's going to go back."

She wipes the tears from her eyes and looks at me with confusion, "but...you'll die?"

"I don't care. You're going to come out of the arena alive, even if I have to die protecting you." I meant it too. There was no reason for me to go back, my parents would just think I was too weak and move on, but Shine's parents would cry endlessly and never get over her death, plus she has Crassus to return to.

"Soarin, I can't let you do that. I can't live with your death on my conscience."

We sit in silence for a long time, and then I say "You're right, I cant let you or Crassus feel responsible for my death. We'll fight a fair game." Even though my voice sounds sincere I am lying. I will do everything I can to get Shine out alive.

Shine looks me in the eyes and smiles, we hug and then we just sit there for the rest of the night her crying and me thinking about the decision I just made.

**Nicole Black**

I throw another plate against the wall and see it split into a thousand pieces. I pick up a crystal champagne glass and throw that at the wall as well. I reach for something else, anything else to smash in frustration. My hand comes up empty, I look at the pile of glass and ceramic shards on the floor and realize that I've thrown everything that's breakable at the wall. I have nothing else to throw and I'm still angry. I don't even know why I'm angry, most people would be sad but I just want to order a bunch of food just so I can throw more dishes. I turn and scan the room once more and I see a shiny new wine glass sitting on the dresser waiting to be thrown. I cross to the dresser and pick it up, I'm just about to throw it when a deep voice from behind me says "Feels good doesn't it." I whip around expecting to see some stupid capitol person there but instead I see a tall man in a dark purple suit that is smiling slyly, as if he knows something I don't.

"Hello Marcus." I say dryly to my mentor. He won the 542nd games and has held up pretty well considering he had one of the bloodiest games in history. He is a popular man in town but only because he has lots of stories about mutts from his games, and since my district designs and breeds mutts people like to hear how they are being put to use.

"It does feel good though, right?" he says with the same smirk on his face, "go ahead finish the job. Throw that glass and watch it shatter, someone will clean it up it doesn't matter." Just as he finishes his sentence he slips a shot glass out of his pocket and whips it a the wall behind me. I hear it shatter and Marcus laughs, I simply stare at him bewildered. Instead of throwing my glass I set it back down on the table and stare at Marcus expectantly.

He stares right back. Neither of us say anything for a while but I break the silence, "What do you want?" I want to add a snide remark about his purple suit but I can't think of one. Plus he does pull it off pretty well.

"Well I was going to come in here and take a nap before dinner but it seems this room is already being used." He looks at me and smiles like he's glad I trashed his room. I begin to storm out but he stands in front of the doorway trapping me in. "Finish the job. Finish what you started." He says it with another smile but I know he's challenging me. I don't know what he's challenging me to but I know that if I throw that glass he wins, and I don't want him to win. Instead of throwing the glass I punch him in the gut and he doubles over in pain. Try and walk past him but he grabs my arm and drags me back inside. "Why are you angry." I can't see his face because he's still bent over but my natural instinct is to hide my emotions so I lie.

"I'm not angry." I say quickly and stubbornly. He stands up straight and looks around the room with his hands extended in a gesture that says, _really?_ "Fine," I sigh, "It's my brothers. During the goodbyes I said some stuff that I probably shouldn't have and now I wish I hadn't."

I expected him to say something like 'what did you say?' or 'why did you trash my room you phsycho?' but instead he said simply, "You have brothers? I'm pretty good friends with your parents and they never mentioned having a son let alone two?"

I'm surprised by his question, but I answer it calmly, "They're twins and they go to a boarding school in 8 to learn about medicine. My parents don't usually talk about them because it's a little bit of a disappointment that they want to go to 8 when they grown up. I was only able to say goodbye to them because they were able to set up a video chat."

While I was saying all of this Marcus went and sat down on the bed being careful to avoid the glass shards, "So what did you say to them that is so bad?"

"I told them I would come back."

"So come back." He said simply.

"It's not that simple."

"Why not?"

"What if I don't come back?"

"What if you don't come back?" He says looking me in the eyes.

"Then I let the only people I love down," just as I say this I pick up the glass and throw it at the wall but I'm out the door and gone before it shatters.

**Alex Storm**

_I didn't get to say goodbye..._

I just keep thinking that all through dinner. While Gazelle drones on about her new antlers and how the train has just absolutely everything. And Cherry devours her food like a starving lioness. I just can't stop thinking about passing out like a wimp when Gazelle drew my name. For a while after I woke up my dad was angry about me "showing weakness" but then he was obsessed with the fact that my name was drawn and I didn't have to volunteer. He said it had something to do with sponsors thinking I was a "lucky egg" I don't know what he means though. For some reason I can't get Lexi out of my head, I know I need to focus but the thought of her round face smiling up at me refuses to leave my thoughts.

"Alex?" My fathers voice jolts me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry what?" I ask trying to get back into the conversation.

"I said, what do you think about leading the career pack this year?" my father asks with a touch of pride.

I know that if I say no he'll be crushed but before I say yes I ask, "Doesn't the boy from 1 usually do it?"

"Well yes...but if you want to I think I could persuade him and his mentor to let you," he says with a smile.

"Well yeah I guess that would be good," I try and smile enthusiastically but my father doesn't notice he's gone off on a rant about how it's good to be back in the capitol. A few minutes later, despite my efforts, Lexi's big brown eyes jump back into my thoughts.

**Enjinia Minol**

The Capitol food is outstanding, it's so rich I almost throw up. The rooms are amazing, there are so many gadgets I don't even know where to start. The decorations are dizzying, a bacon crystal chandelier hangs in every hallway. Though none of these distractions can bring a smile out of me, my fathers goodbye was awfully depressing.

He just rolled in and stared at me for a moment and said, "I want you to come back."

I looked at him with a blank expression, "Obviously, you're my dad?"

He was slightly distracted by the rooms lavish furniture and materials, but he realized it was his turn to talk and said simply, "I just need to know that you won't give up...that you won't count yourself out just because you're not a career."

I don't say anything for a moment, I just think about how I could possibly be a match for anyone in the arena, "I won't...I won't give up," I pause and look him straight in the eyes, "I promise."

He doesn't hesitate this time, "You never know what the arena might hold, suppose the cornucopia is entirely filled with dynamite and gun powder. You would be the most equipped tribute there." I laugh at this, it's not often that my dad makes jokes so when he does I always laugh. Before I can respond though he is already turning to leave. He is just about to roll out the door when he looks behind him and says "I love you." it's so quiet I can barley hear it, but I do hear it, and just knowing that he said it is enough motivation to keep my promise.

**Finn Torris**

I can't believe how happy I am. You would think that most people would be scared out of their minds right now but for some reason I'm not worried at all. Maybe it's the train, or the food, or the room they gave me. Everything about this train helps distract me from what will be happening in a few days. The only thing holding me back from completely enjoying the train is what happened in the goodbye room. My parents came first and there was quite a bit of crying and hugging. I tried to stay strong for them but I broke down when my dad said "I can't believe both my children will die in the games!" That cut me deep, he didn't say "I can't believe both my children are going into the games!" he said that I was going to die in the games. My own father didn't believe in me enough to give an encouraging word. I decided right there that I would prove him wrong. I would come back from these games, I don't care what it took.

My parents were the easy part of the goodbyes, Darryl and Genesis came in after them. Genesis ran directly for me and almost tackled me in a bear hug. When I finally pried her off me I could see tears in her eyes before she turned and stood behind Darryl. I was expecting Darryl to thank me for saving his life but instead he did something that I still don't quite understand. He came at me screaming and pinned me against the wall.

Genesis gasped and tried to pull him off me but he pushed her onto the couch. "Why did you do that man!" he yelled in my face, "what were you thinking!"

I looked him in the eyes, I could see tears forming in his eyes and I felt tears stinging my eyes as well, "Why do you think I did it! I would rather die than see another person I loved go into that nightmare they call a game!" I was yelling as well and tears were now falling down both of our cheeks.

Darryl let me go and before she could say anything he ordered Genesis to get out. She began to protest but he glared at her and she got up and left without a word. "You don't think I would rather die than see you go? You think that you're the only one who's allowed to be worried for their brothers?" He choked on the word brothers. We had never called each other brothers before but I didn't question it. We had been best friends since we had been born, literally, we had the same birthday.

Darryl had stopped crying but he looked like he was about to start yelling again but before he could I spoke up, "I...I didn't know you cared that much. I guess I should have considered how me dying might affect you." There was a long pause, "I might come back though. I will try, I'm not going to just roll over and die."

He punched me in the chest and then extended his hand for me to shake it. He looked me in my bloodshot eyes and said "You better not die in there, or I'll kill you." I smiled and he left just as the peacekeeper came in to get him.


	8. Chariot Rides

**These are the chariot rides and sorry if the costumes are really bad because I'm a boy so I'm not exactly Mr. Fashion. Also I'm adding Shine as a POV tribute because I'm the author and I can do that. The last POV here is from a capitol citizen heading home after the show so you don't have to read that part if you don't want to.**

**So without further ado here are the Chariot Rides**

**Soarin Livingston, District 1**

Since District 1 has the easiest industry to make a costume for the chariot rides are pretty much the same every time

. Shine and I just sit back and let the prep teams strip down the hair off our bodies. When they first told us we would be prepped in the same room together I began to giggle because we would be naked, but Shine put a stop to my giggles with a powerful punch to the ribs.

On the train I thought it was funny but now I realize that it is a challenge to keep looking at the mirror instead of looking at Shines long legs and amazing curves. My prep team is helping a little bit though because they are very distracting people. One man Julius has bright purple hair and bright yellow skin and his teeth are a dark maroon as if he sucks blood in his spare time. The only woman on the team was named Kathrine and appeared to be normal at first glance but at second glance I realized her skin was actually continuously changing colors like some sort of crazy tie dye. And the third person was a man named Ivan was dyed entirely orange. From head to toe his hair skin nails teeth and even saliva was a bright shade of orange which was an awful color in my opinion but he seemed to like it.

The circled me like a pack of hyenas, ripping hair off where ever they saw it with special tape. I wince as Julius rips a chunk of hair off my upper thigh and hear Shine giggle.

"Whats so funny?" I ask with slight annoyance in my voice.

She giggles again, "Oh nothing. Just that the toughest boy in District 1 can't handle a little waxing."

I feel the blood rush to my face, "Like you're doing any better," I look over at her before I can stop myself but before I can think of looking down at her exquisite figure I see her staring. I follow her gave and realize what she's staring at, "Shine! Stop staring at...me!" I yell as I lunge for my robe and rap it tightly around myself.

Shine's face turns a bright vermillion red and she immediately turns away, "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry it's just, I saw it...twitch...when Julius ripped out the hair and I thought it looked funny." her face looked like she had painted it red and before I could respond she burst into a fit of giggles.  
>"It's not funny!" I yell as feel my face getting redder than hers.<p>

I'm thinking about going to the bathroom and having the prep team continue there, but before I can Ivan steps between us and says very loudly "Enough!" He stays quiet for a second racoon and then says "if you two are finished admiring each other can we please finish the waxing we have 3 more hours of prep work to do and the chariot rides are in 4 hours! Can we please get on with it!"

At this we both burst out laughing at how stupid our argument is and we step back into our positions. I took off my robe and my team continued waxing me but before I could stop myself I stole a glance at Shines naked body. I looked away before she noticed me and looked at the floor the rest of the 3 hours just trying to justify my glance by thinking that now we're even.

**Shine Pattership, District 1**

I'm so embarrassed. I don't know why I was staring at...it...but I couldn't stop and now Soarin thinks I'm some sort of perverted weirdo. Even though our argument is over my face is still red. Zeus, a bright green man on my prep team who looks like broccoli, continues the acupuncture that is supposed to give me better posture on the chariot ride. He shoves a needle deep into my back and I instinctively turn to rip it out and I see Soarin staring and me. I think about yelling at him for being a hypocrite, but I realize that would make me a hypocrite so I just figure we are even now and let it go.

After Soarin's waxing and my acupuncture we go to side by side bath tubs that are filled with cream that sooth my puncture wounds and his skin. We joke around a little bit and we can talk to each other because both our bodies are submerged in thick beige liquid so neither of us can see the others body. We talk for a while until the stylist comes to get us. She is a tall woman that seems to have Katherine's taste in fashion because her lips hands and legs are all constantly changing color. Her was made of diamonds so when she moved the light refracted in every direction around her, it was one of the few capitol fashion statements that I liked.

She walked in silently and pointed at Soarin then began to walk out. He reached for his robe but she told him to leave it so he shrugged and began to stand up. I looked away but my eyes moved before my brain could tell them not to and before I knew it I was staring at Soarin's rippling career muscles. As he walked out I slapped my self and said "Snap out of it. He's your best friend and you have a boyfriend." I sunk under water and stayed there until I ran out of breath.

**Finn Torris, District 3**

I don't know how Enjinia can stand so still for so long. We finished our prep work a few hours ago and since then our stylist has been working with a team to glue on little square mirrors all over our bodies. The lights are supposed to reflect of the lights of the stadium and make us look like robots. Since we're from district 3 this makes sense but the problem is that we have to hold still for hours so that the mirrors can be glued on. I keep fidgeting and moving but Enjinia is standing stone still, her face expressionless. I tried making conversation a few times but she seems kind of cold and reserved. Not exactly my kind of person.

A few hours later we adre standing next to our chariot waiting for the doors to open. I'm feeding the silver horse sugar when something catches my eye. There is a girl standing by the district 5 chariot that is dressed as a jabber jay. Her stylist really did a good job, fake wings extend from her back and shes wearing a shirt and pants made of jet black feathers. None of that catches my eye though. Her face is stunning, she's beautiful, before I can stop myself I'm walking over to her and before I know it I'm standing next to her.

**Nicole Black, District 5**

I feel very silly in this bird outfit. When I was in front of the mirror I saw that I did look amazing but now that I'm standing in front of other people I'm losing confidence in myself. Then the boy from three came over, he was the last person I expected to come talk to me but he wasn't exactly bad company so I let him stay.

"Hi, I'm Finn," he said a little to enthusiastically.

"Nicole, and this here is Muffin," I say gesturing to the horse.

Finn laughs and gives the horse a sugar cube, "So you're from 5?" He asks while keeping his eyes on the horse.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"The costume. 5 makes mutts, you're dressed as a mutt, I put 2 and 2 together," he says with a grin. Just then a loud bell begins to ring indicating its time to get on the chariots and he starts to shout over it, "This may sound weird but I might die in a few days and I would prefer to spend what little time I have left with someone as beautiful as you, would you like to have breakfast tomorrow?"

I smile and realize that he's asking me on a date, at the Hunger games. I think for a second and then say, "I'd love to. Meet me on my floor tomorrow at 10:30."

He grins and says, "I'll see you then Nicole." He turns and runs back to his chariot where his district partner is yelling at him to hurry up.

**Finn Torris, District 3**

Enjinia is yelling over the crowd as the first 2 chariots leave the stables, "What took you so long?"

I grin even wider than I was before, "I think I just made a date." At that moment the Chariot leaves the Stables and we go out into the roaring stadium.

**Ramona Sweets, Capitol Citizen**

"Oh Ronald darling that was spectacular the tickets were amazing!" I say as my husband and I drive home from the chariot rides. The traffic is awful after things like this because there are about 50000 people trying to get home at once. Since I figured we would be in bumper to bumper traffic for while I was going to call some of my friends to brag about our seats.

I turned on my phone and immediately dialed my mothers number. Her and I love to chat about the costumes each year and she'll be very impressed with the seats my husband got us. I dial her number and listen to the ringing until I hear a crackling sound and she picks up.  
>"Hello," she says.<p>

"Hello Mom, it's Ramona, I just got out of the stadium and we're stuck in traffic so I wanted to talk about the costumes with you!"

"Really you guys got seats in the stadium where were they? Oh and the costumes this year were outstanding! Did you see the ones from 5? They were dressed as a Jabber Jay and a Tracker Jacker," She said with excitement.

"Our seats we're almost right next to the president, we could almost touch him! And I know I especially like the two from one, I liked the simplicity of just gold dress and suit, but it also was off set by all the jewels they were wearing! What about district 3? What a creative design, the looked almost exactly like robots!"

"To bad the costumes from 2 were awful, I mean did you see them? They looked like rock monsters that were mutated by some sort of nuclear disaster."  
>"I know they were dreadful. Oh dear it seems the traffic is moving again so I have to go, buh-bye mom!" and I promptly hung up.<p>

**Hope you liked it, please review and let me know if the first 2 POV's were to weird or sexual or whatever.**


	9. The Date

**This is not training day 1 it's a rest day before the first training day. I know that wasn't in the original book but its been 550 years maybe things have changed a little. Anyway this one is basically Nicole and Finn's date sorry if it gets slow...I promise it will get better. Any way review.**

**Alex Storm District 2**

The alarm goes off and my eyes snap open. The buzzer keeps going until my fist slams down onto the snooze button and I say "Vanilla pudding." almost instantly a huge bowl of vanilla pudding appears out of a hole in the wall. The best part about the capitol is the food, because I'm a career I was always kept on a strict diet to help me gain muscle and get taller but now that I'm in the capitol I can eat whatever I want whenever I want so that means vanilla pudding before breakfast.

I sit down and tuck a napkin under my chin. Armed with a big spoon I plan on devouring the whole bowl in about 5 minutes but before I can take one bite Gazelle is at my door knocking and yelling at me to get ready. I sigh and take one huge bite before I go off to the shower.

I'm last to arrive at breakfast and everyone is already talking about my dad mentoring us together or not. I sit down and listen to them badger about how training us together would make us look more powerful but training us apart would make us look more like victors. I chow down on the bacon and eggs until someone says my name.

"What do you think Alex?" My father asks anxiously.

I push the huge lump of hot bacon down my throat and say "about what?"

"Do you want to be trained together or apart?"

"Apart!" I say immediately and with such force that even the waiters come stop serving for a second to look at me.

"Well thanks for considering me buddy," Cherry says with a puff. It might be mean but the thought of spending any amount of time with her makes me nauseous.

"okay. Well I guess that's settled then," says Gazelle, "Alex tomorrow after your first training session you will spend 2 hours with your father and then Cherry will spend 2 hours with him. okay?" she asks expectantly. "okay." She answers herself.

It's not okay though. I don't want to spend any time with my father. All he ever wants to talk about is the games and training for the games but right now I don't need training I need to talk about my feelings for Lexi but the thought of talking about feelings with my dad is almost laughable. I wish my mom was here. She may be a victor but each district only gets one mentor no matter how many victors they have. This year my dad asked to be a mentor so he could make sure I did well. My mom came to the capitol to shop but she is staying on the basement floor below the training room and it is strictly off limits to tributes. Now that I think about it though if I could figure out how to get down there who would stop me?

**Finn Torris District 3**

I don't think I've ever been this nervous. I'm sweating through my undershirt. I take another look in the mirror, my black button down isn't showing sweat marks yet but at this rate I'll be drenched in a half hour. I'm Freaked out about my date with Nicole. I have no clue what to wear. I tried asking Don, our mentor, for help but he only had a slurred sentence about pandas to offer as advice. I tried asking Rolanda, but she said "The key to a woman's heart is pink hair with black lips!" I couldn't tell if she was serious or just pulling my leg but either way I wasn't dyeing my hair or my lips. I went to ask Enjinia but she told me that I should cancel my date because going into the arena with attachments is a bad idea. I certainly wasn't going to cancel my date because Nicole was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen and I wanted to see more of her. So I decided to rely on my own sense of fashion and I had settled on a black button down with black pants and a red tie but then I started sweating and I didn't know what to do. I peeled off the soaked undershirt and press the attendant button under the counter so someone could come and get it. A minute later a blonde girl with green eyes came in and took the shirt off the counter while I was comparing a green shirt and blue shirt in the mirror.

"What are you dressing for?" she asked with a smirk because I clearly had know idea what I was doing.

"This is going to sound weird but I have a date, with the girl from 5." I said not taking my eyes off the shirts.

"A brunch date? You don't want to wear black pants to a brunch date. Have you thought about khaki's?" She tossed the shirt aside and walked into my closet. She came back with a blue and white striped button down with a pair of khaki pants. "here try these on." So I went into the bathroom and changed. I came out and she nodded but then she frowned at my hair and dragged my back into the bathroom.

**Nicole black District 5**

I watch in awe as the capitol attendants whirl around like a tornado of service. I simply asked if they could put a table together for 2 and immediately they began rushing around grabbing table clothes and and plates. Once I saw someone with a candle stick holder but I stopped him because I thought it was to romantic. Within 2 minutes there is a fully set table that has a perfect amount of room for two people to sit comfortably with a basket of rolls in the middle.

I walk off to my room to get dressed, I picked out a purple dress and a pair of black flats last night but my hair is a mess and as far as I can tell there is no hair styling gadget in the bathroom. I step in front of the mirror and run a brush through it a few times, the brush has no effect. I see a metal box and remember in the tour the guide said it would straighten my hair so I put my hand on the box and I feel a shock like someone rubbed their socks on a rug then poked me. When I look back at the mirror my hair is fluttering back down to my shoulders in perfectly straight strands. I am about to tie it up or something but I hear a knock and see on a screen that there is a capitol attendant standing at my door.

I walk over and answer it and the attendant says, "Sorry to disturb you miss but your guest is here."

I'm nervous. Why am I so nervous? No matter what happens today we'll be dead soon anyway so it won't make a difference. That boy was really nice though and this may mean something. I can't stop thinking about how nervous I am as I walk down the long hall to the dining room.

I walk in and see Finn sitting at the table sipping orange juice. When I see him he stands up and says "Hey you look..."

**Finn Torris District 3**

"...Beautiful." I say as I hurry over and pull out her chair for her. She sits down and smiles at me as she puts her napkin in her lap. That's when I remember that I'm on a date and I need to use all those manners that my mom told me about. Just calm down Finn, I tell myself, she likes you everything is going to be fine.

"I'm sorry but this is a little awkward, ice breakers were never my thing," she says with an embarrassed smile.

"Well why don't we just treat this like a real date," I say with a stupid grin on my face, "what brings you to the capitol Nicole?" I say as if I've only just met her.

She laughs and plays along, "I'm actually a tribute for the hunger games."

"Oh really? What did you do to deserve that job?" I say sarcastically

"Well my friend Cameron thinks the reapings are rigged and that I'm here because my parents make mutts for the games and the gamemakers want to see one of their mutts rip me to pieces." she says trying to maintain her smile.

"Really, your parents make things for the games too?" I say dropping the 'we just met' act.

"Yeah, why do yours?"

"Yeah, my dad owns a company that makes the gamemaker traps and my mom owns a company that makes things for the training center." I say gaining confidence in myself. I'm finally able to wipe the dumb grin off my face and it's replaced with a sly smile.

"What kind of things does she make? Any cool tricks you could show me?" she says leaning forward as if its a secret conversation.

"Actually there is something." I get up and walk over to the light switch panel. I put pressure on a four-inch area too the right of the light switches and a little the area of the wall recedes and reveals a number pad.

Nicole gasps and asks, "what is that for?" with a look of wonder on her face.

I smile again at her curiosity, "It's nothing special it just opens up a stair case that can get to all the rooms and the roof, for emergency crews if there is ever a fire or anything." I typed 1-2-3-4 into the key pad and a pillar on the other side of the room revealed a large spiral staircase.

Nicole clapped her hands in mock applause as I typed the code back in to close the stair case, "and your dad makes the traps in the games you said?"

I let my smile go, "Yeah I don't really support it but it pays the bills so whatever."

To my surprise Nicole smiles and raises her glass, "to our parents, who's inventions will probably kill many children in a few days."

I raise my glass and smile back at her we move our glasses together and the second they clink I'm hit with an explosion of emotion. I realize that I just toasted to a bunch of kids dying. Just like Sarah did, just like I probably will. I just toasted to the very thing that has been tormenting my family for years. I can't believe I did that, I look at Nicole and she's just eating her eggs like nothing ever happened.

I stand up, "I'm sorry I have to go." I say as I throw my napkin on my plate.

"What? I was having a good time though?" She says, and I can tell she's utterly confused but I can't stay not after what I just did.

I turn to leave but I stop and walk over to Nicole, she stands up and I lean in and kiss her on the cheek. "Bye, I really did have a good time." With that I turn and leave. I rush out to the elevator and punch 3 so hard I'm afraid the button might break.

The elevator descends and stops but when the doors open I don't leave I just slide down into a sitting position and cry.


	10. authors note

**This is just a quick authors note. I know I'm not supposed to do this but I forgot to add one in the next chapter. So first of all in the next chapter I added a curse word and I think I might add more to make it more dramatic or whatever so please review and tell me what you think. Which brings me to my next thing, nobody has been reviewing, there is only one real review and the rest are about tributes that people submitted so seriously guys write a review because I need to know what you think of the story. And finally I'm going to stop doing the random word thing because I keep forgetting. Any way, on with the show.**

**PS the first part of the next chapter is entirely inaccurate so dont go trying to make bombs with bananas in your back yard. **


	11. Training day 1

**Enjinia Minol District 3**

I peel the thick leathery skin off the banana and chop it up into slices that fall on a hot piece of metal. The I wrap the mango in tin foil and focus the light through my glasses to heat it up. The instructor looks confused. Usually people that go down to the bunker below the training center want to learn how to use C4 but no one ever brings down bananas and mangos. "What are you doing?" He says staring at the banana which is now caramelizing on the metal.

"The banana contains potassium and when I heat it up it moves to the surface." I say not moving my glasses from the mango.

"Why do you need potassium in a bomb range?" he says now bending over to look at the banana.

"When potassium comes in contact with air it explodes, plus I can use the rest of the banana for a nutritious snack," I say adding a douse of sarcasm to the last part.

The instructor stands up and backs away from the banana, "Whoa, what? It's going to explode! Get it down range then!" he says attempting to pick up the hot piece of metal but burning his hands.

"Relax, I'm using the mango as a timer. If you really don't feel safe take these and move the sheet down range but take the heat source with it." I hand him pair of oven mitts and he takes them and carefully moves the metal sheet and the box under it that heats it up.

When he returns he takes off the gloves and says "How are you using a mango as a timer?"

I sigh and tell him, "when a mango heats up to a certain temperature it releases its juice so by the time this mango heats up enough to let out its juices there will be thirty seconds left before the potassium comes completely to the surface." Just as I say this I see a small river of juice flowing out of a slit in the foil. "You might want to put on your goggles," I say as I put my glasses back on and put goggles on over them. We step behind the blast shield and turn just in time to see the an explosion that would make my dad proud. A second after the explosion a shockwave hits us that almost knocks us over.

"Whoa! Where did you learn to do that!" the instructor says as he runs down range to see what remains of the metal sheet.

"My dad worked at a bomb factory." I say but I'm not really thinking about that. I'm thinking about how I could use this in the arena and how this might actually be the key to winning the games. I turn and walk to the elevator.

"Where are you going?" the instructor asks.

"To get more fruit."

**Shine Pattership District 1**

"So if nightlock looks just like blue berries how do you tell them apart?"

The instructor sighed as if he got asked this question every year, "Nightlock is more of an oval shape and when you burst one its purple on the inside instead of the yellowish color of a blueberry."

"Aren't blue berries blue on the inside?" I say and the instructor sighs again because clearly I am one of the worst students he's ever had. I watch him as he drones on about which berries are edible and which ones will kill you. I don't know why we are here. The kid Alex told us that since we all know how to use weapons we should go and learn how to survive. It sounded like a good idea at the time but now that we are here I realize that all of this stuff is useless. We will have to cornucopia, why would we need to know how to forage? I don't even know why Alex is the leader, the boy from 1 is usually the leader but since his dad is a victor I think he feels entitled.

The instructor tells us that we should also study up on plants that the capitol engineered to trick us, and I just can't take it anymore. I turn and walk toward the axe throwing section because thats what I need the most work on. I begin to throw axes angrily. I'm not even aiming and I miss the target and hit the wall behind it. I don't know why I'm angry, I wasn't angry yesterday or the day before. Maybe it's just the situation I'm in. In a few days I'll be in the arena with my best friend. I'm to busy throwing axes that I don't realize that Alex has come over and is throwing next to me.

"Hey." I spit out at him. I didn't want to sound mean but I'm just looking for things to be angry about right now.

"Hey," he says calmly without taking his eyes off the target.

"I'm sorry I left...I just...I'm a little angry right now and Mr. edible plants wasn't exactly helping." I say apologetically.

"It's fine, I get it," he still isn't looking at me, "If you want we were going to go and do some hand to hand, you want to join?"

I can tell its an order not an invitation but he can see that I'm sensitive right now so he's being nice, "Sure as long as I get to beat someone up."

We walk over to the training corner where there are three rings, like boxing rings, with trainers inside. The careers are taking turns beating the shit out of the trainers and I laugh as one of them is caught in a choke hold and almost passes out.

It's my turn so I walk up and Soarin yells "ding ding!" the trainer rushes forward and goes for legs but I side step and trip him. He hits the ground hard and before he knows whats happening I have him in a sleeper hold. I'm about to let him out of it when I see Alex walking over to the boy from three, I wonder what he could possibly want with him. Suddenly I feel a tapping on my arm and realize the trainer is tapping out but it's to late he passes out and slumps in my arms. I drop him and giggle as I step out of the ring pretending like I didn't just take down a 200 pound fully grown adult in less than a minute.

**Finn Torris District 3**

I can't believe I'm winning. I bravely challenged one of the instructors to a sword fight and I'm actually winning. I don't know how though, the sword feels incredibly heavy in my hand and I have know idea what I'm doing but the instructor is being forced to back up and defend more than attack and a few times I landed a blow on his pads. Maybe seeing Nicole across the gym made me angry and I just went crazy on the instructor. I'm not angry at her, I'm angry at myself for storming out of there like an idiot. Now I'll never have another chance. _You're going to die, it's not like you would get another chance anyway_, I tell myself.

"Hey kid!" I hear someone right next to me call. I turn to look and the instructor takes advantage and disarms me and knocks me to the ground.

I turn my head and look at the boy from District 2, "My names Finn." The instructor extends his hand and helps me up. I tell him I'm going to take a break and I step out of the ring and walk to the water cooler. The boy from 2 follows me.

"I'm Alex," he says as he extends his hand.

I shake it and sip my water before saying, "and what can I do for you Alex." I say it with confidence because he's a career and I can't show him any weakness.

"Well you're good with electronics right?"  
>"Yes."<p>

"How are you with elevators?

**Alex Storm District 2**

I shine the flash light down the hall way again looking for anyone. The lights in the training center automatically shut off after midnight so I needed this to keep watch. "How much longer?" I ask Finn as I turn and see him crouched over the control panel of the elevator. The sub-basement is only accessible by key card but Finn said he could get it to go without one.

"Just a minute I have to figure out which wire it is."

I walk over and see he is studying a red wire and a blue wire, "The blue one." I say with confidence.

"How could you possibly know that?" He says irritably.

"It's my favorite color." I say with a grin.

He stares at me for a moment and then shrugs and says "Well simplicity never hurt anyone," then he cut the blue wire and reattached it to a yellow wire that he cut before hand. The elevator began to lurch downward but he disconnects the wires before it can get to far. "There you go." He says and stands up and hits the three button.

The elevator goes up one floor and he gets out, "remember, connect the blue and yellow wires to go down and then just press the two button when you want to go back to your floor." and with that he left to his room.

I connect the wires just like he told me and the elevator descends and when the numbers on top reach SB I disconnect them and step out. The sub-basement is entirely non-mentor victors so it didn't take long to find the room marked Helen Storm. I knock at the door and a few minutes later my mother answers, a drink in her hand and a confused look on her face.

"Alex! What are you doing here?" she says as she opens the door and beckons me inside. She looks both directions out side before closing the door.

"I really needed to talk to you." I say before she can tell me to leave.

"Is this about Lexi?" She says with a sigh as if she'd been expecting this.

"um...yeah. How did you know?"

"Alex I'm your mother I know things about you that you don't even know. Now what is specifically the problem?"

"I'm afraid my feelings for Lexi will distract me in the games." I say without even thinking about it.

"Have a seat its story time. When I was a girl your dad went into the hunger games before me. When he came back we got engaged and the next year I went in before we got married." I knew this of course I'd heard this story a hundred time, "All throughout training I was worried that I wouldn't make it home to marry your father. I was worried that my worries would distract me and get me killed. When I got in the games the career pack was all slaughtered by a game maker trap with in 1 day." I knew this to I'd seen my mothers games about ten times, the theme of the arena was ancient temple and her whole pack was killed by poisonous darts that shot out of the walls. "Anyway, there I was alone in the dark tunnels of the temple and I was terrified that I wouldn't make it back. Then your father used his winnings to send me the most amazing gift. A locket with both our faces in it, and when you pressed a button on it, the locket lit up the whole tunnel around me." she pauses and fingers the locket that she still wears.

"Get to the point mom I have to get back before someone notices that I'm gone."

"The point is that after he sent that locket I realized I shouldn't worry over not seeing him, I should use my memories with him to motivate me and push me forward."

"So you're saying I should let Lexi motivate me instead of worry me?"

She nodded and I just shrug and get up to leave, "Wait! Where do you think you're going?" My mom says, her hands on her hips.

"My room..." I say hesitantly.

"Not without hugging me goodbye you're not!" She says advancing for a hug.

When I finally make my way back to my floor after escaping from my moms bear hug I am sure to replace the metal panel over the wires. I walk to my room and flop down on the bed and am asleep within seconds. I wake up a few hours later and can remember only one thing from my dreams, Lexi's face.


	12. Training day 2

**Hey guys so this chapter is going really short because I don't really have that much to write about until the games start but I promise once they start it's going to be...awesome, so hang in there guys. Please review.**

**PS if it gets to mushy at the end please let me know so I can adjust in the future and I'm sorry that this is turning into a little bit of a soap opera but until the games start there isn't much room for action.**

**Enjinia Minol District 3**

I'm back down in the bunker this time taking a frozen canister of salt out of a cooler with tongs. The explosives instructor looks even more confused than yesterday when I brought out the bananas. "What are you doing now?" he asks with a smirk.

"Just like potassium, sodium explodes when exposed to air. The only difference is that to separate the sodium from the chloride in the salt you need to freeze it instead of heat it up, this salt has been sitting in this air tight container all night and I put it in this cooler with dry ice." I hold the canister out if front of me as if it might explode at any minute, which it might.

I walk carefully down range and put the canister down on the ground. I turn the timer on top to thirty seconds and run back behind the blast shelter. The instructor meets me there and pulls noise canceling head phones over his ears, the kind they use at gun ranges. "Where can I get some of those?" I say and he points to a bin a few feet away. I walk over and pick up a pair. A second later I realize I forgot about the timer but its a second to late, I can almost hear the psst at the end of the range as the canister opens letting just the slightest amount of air into it. Everything seems to happen in slow motion. The instructor realizing what is happening runs over and tries to cover me but its not the projectiles I'm worried about. I can see the explosion in slow motion and I can almost see the shock wave coming towards me like an invisible wall of energy. I want to put the earphones on but my arms can't move fast enough. The shock wave hits me and I fall to the floor and hit my head hard.

There is a loud ringing. I can't hear anything but the loud ringing. I look around but all I can see is blackness. The darkness is fleeting though my thoughts are becoming clearer as if waking out of a trance. The first thing I register as my senses begin to work again, is the pain. My whole body is aching as if I took a bad beating and am covered in bruises. A second later I realize that pain was nothing, my head explodes in agony as if was being beaten in the head by a herd of elephants. I still can't hear anything. I bring my hand to my head and am relieved to not feel any blood. I feel a hand shaking my shoulder. The shacking multiplies the pain ten-fold. "What...what's going on?" I say, or at least I hope that's what I say. I can't hear my self so for all I know I could have just said, "blrg drf rrr..."

The shaking continues and I have a feeling someone is trying to tell me something so I open my eyes and see the instructor standing over me. The bright lights hurt my eyes but the instructor is yelling something and I can barley make out "Are you ok?" I point to my ears and say, "I can't hear, and everything hurts. Especially my head!" He nods a presses a red button on the wall. Immediately 3 capitol attendants come rushing in with a stretcher and pick me up and rest me on it. A few minutes later I'm in some sort of hospital below the training center. A pretty nurse is taking my pulse and shining a light in my eyes. She keeps asking me questions but I can only tell her that I can't hear. She picks up a pad and scribbles something on it. She turns the pad around and it says _your ears are ok. Your hearing will return in time_. "What about the interviews?" I say and she scribbles something else down. She turns the pad around again and this time it says _I'll give you a hearing aid. You can't take it into the games but you can use it in the interviews. _She hands me a two silver curly things and when I put them in my ear I can hear everything perfectly. More than perfectly, that's probably why she I'm not allowed to wear them in the games, they would give me an advantage. Begin to stand up and leave but the nurse pushes me back down and says I will have to stay over night to make sure I don't have concussion.

**Finn Torris District 3**

I pick up the touch pad off my bedside table and start to play one of the games preloaded on it. I order a cup of hot chocolate from the room and it appears seconds later next to my bed. I am so comfy that I could just stay here forever. The only problem is Nicole. Shes been the problem ever since I stormed out that night. I wish I could tell her what happened and how I felt about her but I couldn't think of a way that didn't sound like a pathetic excuse. I try to distract my self by playing video games on the huge screen that doubles as a window. Nothing cures heart ache better than shooting people in HD.

In district 3 we had video game competitions every week so in a half hour I am being booted from games because its unfair to have me on a team.

I'm almost ready to shut it down and go to sleep but then I see a pillar across the room rotate and a secret stair case open up. A second later I see a blue night gown and fluffy purple slippers come walking down the stairs, the night gown is followed by a slender neck which is followed by a beautiful face with black hair. "Um...hi." I say without thinking. I am caught off guard by Nicole surprise visiting me. She is so distracting my words get all jumbled up in my throat and I end up just saying, "uuuuurrrrggg."

She frowns at this as if I might have had a stroke but then she speaks up, "I need to know why you ran yesterday." I'm not surprised, what other reason would there be for her coming down to my room at 2 am, "I can't sleep because it keeps bugging me and I can't focus in training. So lets here it Romeo, why couldn't you bear to be around me? Was it something I said or am I just not pretty enough for you?"

I can tell shes pissed, obviously shes pissed, but I can also tell that there are other things bothering her, besides not being able to sleep or train. "Um...er... well it's kind of a long story..." I say my voice trailing off. She just pulls an arm chair over, sits down, crosses her arms and legs and looks at me expectantly. So I start to tell her about my sister Sarah dying in the games and how I volunteered for Darryl so that I wouldn't lose anyone else and after that I couldn't stop talking. I told her exactly how I felt about her and how she made me feel, which took a very long time as it was hard to find words to describe it. I told her how I couldn't afford to make friend ships or...more than friendships...this soon to the games because if anything happened between us and then any thing happened to her I don't know if I could stand it and then I stopped. Catching my breath and rubbing my jaw which hurt from all the talking. I looked at the clock and realized I'd been talking for and hour. I looked up at Nicole and realized she was crying.

**Nicole Black District 5**

How could I have been mad at him? After his long speech I couldn't hold myself together. I had been so stupid, of course he liked me. He asked me out at the hunger games which shows how much he likes me. He notices me crying and runs over to me.

"Whats wrong?" he asks as he slips his arm around my shoulder. It's not a creepy move to hit on me or anything I can tell he is generally concerned with why I am upset.

Instead of answering him I turn my head and kiss him. He pulls back and looks astonished, "Wha-" he starts to say before deciding against questions and leaning in to kiss me. It feels like my heart my beat itself out, as if a thousand fire crackers had been set off in my blood stream. For some reason though I pull back and look at him. "What about what you said, about losing people we love in the games."

He doesn't flinch at the word love he just pauses and says, "Tonight we're not tributes. Tonight we are just two, incredibly attractive, people."

I giggle when he says "incredibly attractive" and I reply, "So for tonight, we quit being tributes and tomorrow morning we go back to reality?" He nods. I get up and walk to the bed.

"Where are you going?" He grins because he already knows the answer.

"If we only have one night I want to make the best of it." I answer with a smile as he joins me in the bed. We kiss and then just close our eyes and fall asleep.

**Like I said if it's to mushy at the end or something please review and let me know.**

**Btw this was the last training day. I know there are usually three but like I said its been 550 years so maybe things have changed. Next chapter is interviews.**


	13. Private Sessions

**Hey so remember how I said that this chapter was going to be interviews. I forgot about the private sessions with the game makers so here they are. Don't worry though I wrote half the interviews before I remembered these so they will come soon after because they are already half done. Anyway you guys need to start reviewing because I have no idea about how good this story is or whether you guys like it or not so seriously review.**

**Soarin Livingston District 1**

I look around the big waiting room. All the tributes are nervous they are biting nails and wiping their palms on the training uniform. I'm the opposite of nervous. I have the best spot, I'm first out of all of them. It doesn't matter what I do the game makers will be impressed. The bell rings and I stand up, Shine smiles at me and wishes me luck. I give her a cocky smile and say, "I don't need luck." She laughs and pushes me through the door.

I walk to the middle of the gym and the game makers are sitting attentively. The food hasn't been brought out yet so the game makers don't have anything to distract them. "Hello, I'm Soarin Livingston, District 1." The nod at me and I walk over to the sword station and pick up a couple katanas. "Could I have 6 of those dummies that can fight by themselves?" The game makers nod and one of them presses a button on their chair 6 times. A moment later 6 attendants bring out 6 dummies and then quickly leave. I grab a bunch of swords, knives and axes, walk over and put them all in the dummies hands.

I walk to the middle of the circle and draw my blades. The motion sensors in their eyes see the movement and all the dummies spring to life. At first I stay on the defensive, I just move around quickly as the dummies attempt to swing. I see my opportunity to impress the game makers as two dummies swing their swords at me simultaneously and and I duck between them. The sword they aren't fast enough to stop the swords so they end up slicing each others chests which deactivates them. Now I decide to go on the offensive which makes me look like a magician. I wield my blades as if I was born with them in my hand. I slice the heads of two dummies within seconds and the two remaining swing their long knives at be but I roll under them and pop up behind their backs. I don't hesitate before stabbing both in the back. My blades cut through them like butter.

I turn and bow to the game makers and walk out of the gym with a huge smile on my face.

**Finn Torris District 3**

I watch all the careers go through and I just imagine what they are all doing. I picture them all wielding knives and swords and showing the game makers just how deadly they are. I have know idea what I'm going to do. The only chance I have of getting a good score is if I do something ridiculous. All of a sudden the bell rings and it's my turn. I stand up and glance at Nicole, she smiles at me and my knees turn to jelly but seeing her smile gives me an epiphany. I know exactly what I'm going to do.

I walk through the door and to the middle of the gym. "Finn Torris, District 3." The food has been brought out but they are still fairly attentive and they are only half drunk so I have more attention than most of the later tributes will get. "I imagine that this years arena has thousands of creative and scary traps?" I say looking directly at the game makers. The nod and look a little confused. "Well many of you may not know is that this building is much like that arena. Except the traps aren't as deadly." To demonstrate I walk over to the light switch and show open up the hidden key pad. "Did you ever notice that there is a wide pillar in ever room in this building?" they say nothing. I type in the code and the stair case reveals itself, "I'll be right back," I say as I begin to ascend the stair case. One of them tries to stop me but I say, "Just sit tight I'll be back in a few seconds." I climb the stairs and enter a dark hallway. The hallway is placed between floors and you can go from room to room through this hallway.

I walk to the left for about 20 feet and see another key pad I enter the code 1-2-3-4-5 into it and a door opens up and I step out onto the game makers plat form behind them all. "Hey guys, I'm back." I say as if we're friends. The look astonished but before I cans say anything I open up another hidden key pad on the back of one of their chairs. I type in 1-2-3-4 and immediately huge steel bars come crashing down over the game makers plat form, creating a kind of jail cell. "This is here in case the tributes decide to rebel. If that happened you would be taken here for your protection."

One of them finally stands up and says, "Young man! We have many tributes to get through so release us at once and then get to the point!" his face is very red and his curly foot long beard is beginning to shake.

"Of course." I say as I re-type the code and the cell walls ascend again. "My point," I say and stare directly at the one who stood up, "is that I'm from district three and know your traps like the back of my hand. I could easily disarm them and make them work to my advantage." All of the game makers are scribbling furiously on their pads and I just bow say thank you and exit through my secret door.

**Enjinia Minol District 3**

I know exactly what I'm going to do but I'm still nervous. I just have to toughen up and do this. I press the hearing aid firmly into my ear and walk into the gym. "Enjinia Minol, District 3." I say and then I add, "I will be using the bunker down stairs-" One of the game makers pressed a button when I said bunker and their entire plat form began to descend. I guess they'll meet me down there.

I walk to the door and down the stairs. When I emerge out the other side the game makers are already there waiting. "I need some bananas and a hot plate, and a mango." I say and they all look confused because I doubt that they have ever heard suck a random list of objects in a bomb range. One game maker presses a button and repeats my strange request into a little microphone. Seconds later an attendant comes out carrying my odd assortment items.

I set up the bananas and hot plate down range and hurry back to tell the game makers about the potassium. As I heat up the mango with my glasses I explain to them about how potassium explodes when exposed to air and how the mango can be used as a timer. When I see the juice flow out of the mango I tell them to put on the blast goggles and earphones. I put mine on just in time because the explosion that followed probably would have made me deaf for life. I used double the banana I did on the first training day. The results are apparent the explosion knocks me over and messes up many of the game makers wacky hair styles. At first I think they might be angry but then I see a glimpse of a smile on a few of their faces.

They dismiss me and I leave feeling very confident.

**Nicole Black District 5**

I'm standing in the middle of the gym. I have no idea what to do. I'm not good with a blade or a spear or really any weapon. I do have one thing, my brains. I was always top of my class and I've really excelled at the edible plants station. I walk over and see a bunch of poisonous plants that the instructor told me will kill you in seconds. I get an idea and I grab a long blue flower and rips its petals off. I snip its head off and crush it to pieces with a mortar and pestle. When it is a fine powder I take a water bottle and pour it into the bowl. The powder dissolves almost instantly, I'm not sure that the diluted poison will kill someone so I grab a bright red berry and burst it open with my finger, a clear thick liquid spills out onto my finger. I wipe off the liquid into the water and then add some twigs and leaves to make it look like pond water. I turn to the game makers and ask if they have anything I can test it on. One of them presses a button and an attendant comes out and stand by me waiting for instructions. For a second I don't realize what he is doing here but then I realize that they want me to test it on him. I look up at the game makers and say, "No, I was thinking like...mice?" One of them smiles and presses another button. The first attendant leaves and another enters this time carrying a cage of twelve mice. I put the bowl of water into the cage and watch as all the mice huddle around it, drinking deeply.

Seconds later they are convulsing on the floor of the cage, a few of them are already dead and one by one they drop like flies. I look up at the game makers and say "Ta-da." I don't put emotion behind it to let them know that I still don't like killing innocent creatures. The dismiss me and I leave without another word.

**Alex Storm District 2**

I sit down with my dad and Cherry to watch the scores. I told everyone that if they didn't get an eight or higher they wouldn't be allowed in the pack, but I don't think any of them will score less than an eight. It seems I'm right. The scores come up and I'm not disappointed, Shine and Soarin both get nines and Cherry got an 8 which I'm a little disappointed about because I was hoping I wouldn't have to deal with her in the games. My score comes up and I got a 9 as well. I'm not very interested in my scores, I'm really interested in the competitions scores. The girl from 3 comes up and a ten flashes across her face. Everyone in the group gasps, but then the boy from 3 comes up and he also gets a ten which makes Gazelle almost pass out. The 2 from four get sevens and the boy from five gets a 4 which is low even for an outlying district. Then the girl pops up and a big 11 flashes across her face which makes my dad throw a vase across the room. I don't really think its that big of a deal I could kill all of them without sponsors but I guess my dad was really hoping for me to get the highest score. I couldn't care less though. It doesn't matter who gets the sponsors, I'm going to win.

**Okay I need to wrap up a few things. I need to give credit to kmori117 because I kind of used his idea for Nicole's session. Also at the end when Alex said it didn't matter who got sponsored that was just the character talking. Your sponsorship points will still count. Speaking of sponsorship, the games are starting soon so if you want to be a sponsor PM me and let me know because once they start you won't be allowed to sign up. One last thing I decided not to raise the points as the games progress because that's to complicated and I don't feel like doing it. So yeah...that's it...good bye for now.**


	14. Interviews

**Wow this was a long chapter. I'm Sorry if the POVs were not evenly distributed, I just didn't have that much to say with some people. I'm sorry if this seems repetitive I did my best. Anyway here are the interviews and then the games begin.**

**Soarin Livingston District 1**

My palms are sweaty and I wipe them on my pants. I crack my knuckles, "How are you doing?" I ask Shine as I crack my knuckles.

She checks her hair in her mirror and says, "Pretty good. As far as I can tell I'm the best looking girl here...except maybe for that district 5 girl. So it doesn't really matter how I do, I'll get sponsors anyway." She doesn't look away from her mirror the whole time.

This is why I hate it when Shine dresses up. She thinks she looks so good, which of course she does, but she gets so cocky and thinks she's entitled to everything. I crack my knuckles and look at her short black dress that resembles the one she wore at the reapings. I crack my knuckles and look around the corner and see Caesar Flickerman standing there addressing the crowd and giving his usual introductions. "Oh gosh, I'm up first." I'm almost shaking, I wipe my palms again and crack my knuckles.

"Are you okay?" Shine asks as she looks away from her mirror for the first time in the whole night.

"Yeah, Yeah...I just need some water." a capitol attendant hears me and in a few seconds I have water in my hands. I crack my knuckles and take a drink.  
>Shine smirks at me, "Are you sure you're ok?" She says as she goes back to her mirror.<p>

"Yeah why wouldn't I be?" I ask as I crack my knuckles.

She smirks again, "because you've cracked your knuckles seven times in 3 minutes."

"Okay fine. Maybe I'm a little nervous but I'm Soarin Livingston!" I say as if I have a reputation, "I'll just power through this water and then go up there and win some sponsors." despite my confident words I feel like I'm going to throw up. And when the stage hand comes by to tell us 1 minute to show time I start shaking and spill the water all over my black pants. Luckily the capitol people comes over with some kind of black powder that dries water up instantly and blends in perfectly with my pants.

Shine is smiling at me as if I'm a lost child. "Are you really nervous?" She says with the same smile sticking on her face.

"Yes!"

She's still smiling but now she turns toward me and says, "Fine I'll help you out." For a second I wonder what she could possibly do to help me but she leans forward and kisses me. I'm to surprised to say anything at first but then she puts a finger to my lips and says, "Not a word to Crassus. It was a good luck kiss and nothing else. Do you understand?" I nod and she removes her finger from my lips. I'm stuck with a stupid grin on my face and a bad case of the giggles when the stage hand comes and gets me. I walk on stage and at the sight of the crowd my stupid grin turns into a cocky smile and I shake Caesars hand and realize mine are no longer sweaty. He starts the interview and I'm perfect. I always have a witty answer to his question and when he asks me about girls at home I tell him my sister is the only lady in my life at which the crowd ooohs and aaaws. At one point I just ask, "Excuse me, but how are you alive?" for a moment he looks confused but then bursts out laughing. I laugh to but I still am interested because he must be at least six hundred now and so is Claudius Templesmith who co-hosts the games with him.

Caesar looks me right in the eye and says "The capitol can do amazing things." Which isn't exactly an answer but I guess it's the best I'm going to get so I just go with it. At the end of my interview I have the crowd eating out of the palm of my hand. People are actually shouting out that they will sponsor me. I don't know what kind of lip-gloss Shine was wearing but when I get home I'm buying it by the barrel. My buzzer goes off and the crowd is booing, they're begging for more but I have to go so I stand up shake Caesars hand, blow a few kisses and walked off stage just as Shine walked on.

Her black dress is tight and short and her heels are easily 5 inches high. The audience goes wild at the sight of her and she blows five kisses before Caesar can settle them down so she can talk. Shine is even more amazing than I was. Caesar asks her what her favorite part of the capitol is and she just tosses her hair back and says that its the showers. She can't say two words without a whistle coming from the crowd. Near the end of her interview Caesar leans in close and puts on his serious face. "Now lets talk for real, do you have a boy at home that's rooting for you?"

She hesitates and then says, "Of course I do look at me!" The crowd bursts out laughing and she gets at least a hundred whistles before Caesar can settle them down again, "His name is Crassus, and we've been friends since we were little kids." She winks at the camera and gives a little wave. Her buzzer goes off and Caesar says, "Well good luck and I'm sure you'll go home to Crassus."

**Shine Pattership District 1**

That's what got to me. When Caesar said that I would make it home, it hit me. My awful situation came crashing down on me. I was going into a fight to the death with my best friend and I might not come out alive. I look at the monitor where Soarin just watched me and see that Alex kid who is supposed to be leading the career pack. He is talking about some girl named Lexi. I look at Soarin and but he looks as happy as ever. Maybe happier considering I kissed him a few minutes ago. I can't stand it in this little room. I take Soarin's hand and lead him outside for some air. We don't find air though we just enter a long hallway that leads directly back to the training center. I need to get out side. I need to see the sky. I take off my shoes and take off in a sprint down the hallway. I hear Soarin behind me shouting trying to get me to comeback but I just keep running I reach the doors of the training center and there are attendants holding the elevator doors open. I run in to one a punch the twelve button. I see Soarin come in through the doors holding my shoes but the elevator doors close before I can say anything.

I throw open the hatch that leads to the roof garden. I walk to the edge of the roof and look out over the city. I breathe in the air and stair at the sky. There isn't a single star to be seen because of the bright lights that shine through the whole capitol. I hear the hatch open again and I slouch down on the wall not wanting to be found but I'm not hard to find and Soarin sees me in seconds. He comes over and sits down next to me. Before he can say a word I burst into tears and fall on his shoulder. He strokes my hair for a while until I say, "How did we get here?"

"I was an idiot an volunteered while you were on stage." he says without hesitation.

I don't say anything for a while and then I say, "I don't miss Crassus." I realize its true after I say it. At this point I'm just using him to get sponsors. I decide that when I get back– the thought of going back sends me into another fit of tears. Soarin kisses the top of my head and he helps me stand up. We walk back to my room together. He is about to leave but I say, "Wait...would you mind...um...sleeping here tonight?" he looks confused, "I just don't want to be alone tonight." He shrugs and comes back. We lay in bed together. We're not touching each other but just feeling him there is enough.

**Alex Storm District 2**

I don't know whats wrong with me. The interview was going great, almost as good as Soarin's but then Caesar asked me one question about any lady friends at home. I was going to say, "no not really," but my mouth acted before my brain told it to and I said, "Well there is this one girl named Lexi." I blush and realize that I just announced to the entire nation of Panem, Lexi included, that I had feelings for her. Caesar tries to get me to say more about it but I refuse. I won't embarrass myself in front of the whole country just to get sponsors. By the time the buzzer rings I've convinced the nation of Panem not to sponsor me.

**Finn Torris District 3**

I'm pumped, I'm so ready for this. My night with Nicole may have been long gone but her kiss still lingers on my lips and the kiss alone pushes away my nerves and replaces them with adrenaline that pulses through my body like liquid energy. Caesar introduces me and I moonwalk onto the stage I was known for my dance moves in District 3 and apparently the capitol enjoys them to because at the sight of my sweet grooves they audience breaks into an applause louder than they gave for any other tribute. It takes almost a full minute for Caesar to settle them down and we both take a seat. "So what's your favorite part about the capitol so far?" Caesar says as if I'm the first tribute he's ever asked that question.

I smile and think for a second, "The kids."

He gasps in mock surprise, "but you haven't met any of them?"

I grin and say, "Well in District 3 we have weekly video game competitions and usually they are pretty tough but here the kids are so terrible I can beat all of them in minutes." I think I've crossed a line by insulting the capitols kids because nobody laughs for a second but then everybody realizes that it was a joke and the crowd bursts into laughter. Caesar asks if I could give them a demonstration, and I agree so a few seconds later I'm sitting there playing a hunger games video game, while being interviewed, and still winning by far. I'm not sure if the crowd is even paying attention to my interview anymore so I decide to call it quits on the game because I'm already so far ahead I've more than proven my point.

The moment I turn off the game Caesar re-captures everyone's attention and asks, "What's District 3 like for you? Any friends?"

I grin and say, "Yeah I have to really good friends, Genesis, and Darryl. Darryl and I have known each other since we were born and we're basically brothers."

The crowd ooo's and Caesar pushes forward to the topics people really want to hear about, "What about girlfriends any of those back in 3?" He grins and winks at me.

At this my smoothness falters, my automatic response would be to tell them about Nicole and me, but then I remember our deal and how we are just two tributes so I say, "No. No girl friends." Caesar could have turned it around to make the crowd laugh but my tone made it sound so depressing that even he was quiet. Before he could recover though the buzzer went off, we shook hands, and I left.

**Enjinia Minol District 3**

I think I'm more nervous than I've ever been. I've never been good at making friends or being charming or anything like that. Let alone convincing thousands of people to like me. I will admit my stylist made me look good. I'm wearing a short strapless green dress that apparently matches my eyes and at the bottom it's fluttery instead of tight. My prep team rubbed some kind of lotion on me to make me tanner because I was so pale from my hours in the factory and at the bomb range. I hear Caesar announce that it's my turn and I get up and walk on stage. The crowd claps and I look out at them, they all look so ridiculous it's as if I'm being watched by a circus. It doesn't take much for Caesar to settle them down and when we are both seated he asks me the usual questions, how do you like the capitol, whats your favorite part of the capitol, tell us about your background. Since Don was to drunk to do anything Finn and I discussed strategies together. We decided I should work the pity angle because my dad is in a wheel chair and my mom is dead. So when Caesar asks about my life at home I get serious and tell him a sob story about how an explosion at the factory killed my mother and paralyzed my father, and how I've had to provide ever since. The audience is captivated by my misery, I see a few of them dabbing their eye balls and it gives me an idea. Caesar asks what my mother was like and I start sobbing and choking up. I ask for a tissue and he pulls a handkerchief from his pocket. I dab my eyes and tell them about how my mother was the nicest person you would ever meet and then with another sob I ask them, "Why do the worst things always happen to the best people?" At that I see another fifty people burst into tears and a second later my buzzer goes off. I walk off the stage and grin because I left half the capitol in tears.

**Nicole Black District 5**

Hearing Finn say he didn't have any girl friends made me sad. I don't know why though, we had a deal and we both followed through with that deal, but something about him denying our night together makes me angry. I push the anger down though and put fake smiles on top of it.

Both District 4 interviews fly by and Joey's interview is sad because he is so small that nobody takes him seriously. His buzzer goes off and he just walks off stage without shaking Caesars hand. Caesar calls me out and I put on a huge grin and stride out to the applause waiting for me. Caesar settles down the crowd and he asks me if I have any surprises in the arena, he's hinting at the score I got in the training sessions which was the highest of anyone. I simply say that sometimes muscles must yield to brains. The audience loves this and begs to hear more but Caesar moves on, "What's your home like?" He says, leaning in to show he is really interested.

"Well my parents make mutts for the hunger games-" I'm interrupted by a loud chorus of ooo's from the audience showing that they can't wait to see me get torn to pieces by one of my parents terrible creations, "and my twin brothers go to a boarding school in District 8," I say and the crowd aww's at the mention of my brothers.

"How old are they?" Caesar asks without missing a beat.

"They're both 9 and I just love them to pieces. I really want to get home so I can see them again."

This gets another chorus of aww's from the audience but Caesar is determined to keep moving forward. "What about boys? Any guys that you want to go home to?" He asks with a grin.

I feel the anger bubbling inside me. The same anger that I felt when Finn said he didn't have any girl friends. I try to push it down but it keeps growing. I try to think of an answer to Caesar's question but before I can come up with one the anger bursts and I say, "Well I don't know about at home but Finn and I had something a few days ago." I slap my hand over my mouth but it's to late, the crowd is almost screaming they are so excited. Even Caesar looks surprised but before I can say anything else every camera in the building is focused in on Finns face and his mouth his open so wide I'm afraid his tongue might fall out.

"How come Finn didn't tell us about this?" Caesar asks with a concerned look on his face.

I blush and say, "Well we kind of made a deal. We would spend one night together and then go back to being just tributes and nothing else," I pause and then say, "oops."

With every camera in the building tuned into Finn's face and my face the buzzer goes off and I stand up and leave.

**Three quick things:**

**Like I said last chapter even if the character isn't getting any sponsors in the story (Alex for example) doesn't mean your sponsorship won't count.**

**Review. I have no idea what you think of this story because no one is reviewing so please do it, just a sentence or two is fine.**

**You will have till 3 am 7/3/12 to sign up to be a sponsor. I know that a lot of you have already signed up but I'm just letting you know that there is now an official deadline**


	15. Authors Note 2

**Hey sorry about this but I'm not going to be able to post the first chapter of the games tonight :( I know it sucks. Since the games won't start for another night though you get another night to sign up as a sponsor, so the new time is 3am 7-4-12 anyway sorry again**


	16. Let the Games Begin

**Alrighty, here we are. This is the first chapter of the games and the quell twist and the arena twist will both be revealed this chapter so please review!**

**PS I know that in the real book they had their stylists in the launch room with them, but that never made much sense to me so in my version they are in there alone.**

**Finn Torris District 3**

I Don't have to be up for another hour but I need to talk to Nicole before we go. I open up the stair case and walk up to her room. I hesitate before I walk into view, but then I realize that she's seen the stair case open and she knows I'm there so I have no choice but to continue upwards. She's sitting in an arm chair reading a book. I can't see the title from this angle but judging from the way she is dabbing at her eyes I'm guessing it's a sad book.

"Hey," I say as if I appear through hidden stair cases all the time.

She jumps because I apparently startled her out of her book, "Hey," she says. As she stands up and looks at me her face turns pink and she breaks eye contact. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to...you know." She's obviously embarrassed about what she did on stage.

"It's fine, I don't care." I say without thinking. She looks confused and I say, "I don't care who knows about us...it's just that I can't afford to have attachments in the arena."

She throws the book across the room, it hits the wall with a thud and falls to the floor. It takes me by surprise because she was so calm a few seconds ago, "I can't stand this!" She yells. "I really like you and now I only have," she looks at the clock, "45 minutes left with you before we are trying to kill each other!" She isn't yelling anymore but tears are streaming down her cheeks.

Before I know it we are hugging and her head is buried in my shoulder. Apparently I will be going into the arena with some attachments. I stroke her hair and tell her it'll be okay even though we both know that it's a lie. I walk over and pick up her book. The title reads, _Love Wins_. Maybe things will be okay.

**Enjinia Minol District 3**

The alarm goes off and I hit the snooze. Without hesitation I stand up walk out the door and into dining room to get a quick breakfast before I leave. I don't bother changing out of my pajamas because I know clothes will be provided for me in the launch room. When I get to the dining room Finn's not there, although who knows where he is, he takes so many late night adventures I'd be surprised if he got any sleep at all. Rolanda doesn't need to be up so she is sleeping in and Don, who is supposed to be taking us to a hovercraft, is probably to hungover to walk so a capitol attendant stands in his place.

I serve myself a heap of bacon eggs and toast and start shoveling as much as I can into my mouth because this will probably be my last full meal for weeks...or maybe the last one ever. This thought just makes me eat faster and when I'm done the capitol attendant asks if I am ready. I hesitate for a moment but then nod and stand up. He turns and we walk to the elevator. A few seconds later the doors ding open and standing in front of us is a tall dark man in a navy blue suit, the scrawny boy from 5 in a t-shirt and pants, Finn in his pajamas holding hands with the girl from five who is in blue and white polka-dotted pajamas. He opens his mouth to explain but then realizes that I don't care and closes it again. The elevator descends and we stand in silence, I couldn't care less if people talked or not because I could barley hear them anyway. My hearing has returned slightly in the past few days, enough to be operable but certainly not enough to be helpful in the games. The elevator stops in the lobby but instead of going out the main entrance we go out the back door which apparently leads directly to an air field. I see a massive hovercraft waiting there with the other the 21 tributes already inside. We walk up the ramp and are frozen in our seats by an electric current as a woman comes around injecting the tracker into our arms. A moment later we are unfrozen and we are lifted off the ground and flying through the air at hundreds of miles an hour.

**Soarin Livingston District 1**

At some point I feel asleep on the hovercraft, there was something about the whirring of the motor that just made me drowsy so I dosed off and the same woman who injected my tracker awoke me when we landed. I unbuckled myself and stood up. I turned ready to head straight to my launch room and get ready but instead I was looking at a larger room with a round table in the middle of it. There were 25 seats at the table all occupied except for one which was obviously meant for me. I went and sat down and for the first time I notice a man with bright red hair and an orange beard sitting at the head of the table. As soon as I sit down he sighs and says, "Finally we can begin. My name is Octavious and I am the head game maker. Before I let you go into your launch rooms there is something you need to know about the arena," He pauses here as if to build suspense but it only adds confusion. Whispers begin and people start muttering but Octavious slams his hand on the table and everyone immediately goes quiet, "The arena," he says while glaring at everyone, "Will change."

Needless to say this caused even more confusion and murmuring and Octavious was required to slam his hand on the table again so he could continue his speech, "Every 12 hours you will experience a kind of glitch in your surroundings and they will change into an entirely different arena. You need not worry though, each of you will be equipped with a digital watch that starts counting when the gong rings and resets every twelve hours, also you will each be given a special outfit that will change to fit the arena. Any questions?" He asks as if everything he explained is totally normal and he says it every day. Apparently someone does have a question though because a hand goes up. Octavious glares at the hand as if he thought no one would dare ask him a question but he sighs again and says, "yes?"

The girl, I think she's from 9, says in a nervous voice, "What about the quarter quell? The president said that it would be told to us before the games."

Octavious keeps his death stare going but says, "You will be told the quarter quell twist while you are on the pedestals before the timer starts." And without another word he stands up and walks to the hovercraft and before we know it we are left alone in a huge air hanger, but then a wall slides up from the floor making our room smaller and 24 small wall fragments slide down from the wall behind us above each a name glows brightly. I walk to the one that says Soarin Livingston and don't hesitate before walking through it.

**Alex Storm District 2**

I walk down a long dark tunnel until I come to a small room with a table that has a pitcher of water and a cup on it. Next to the table is a chair with a small brown paper package. When I open the package I find my outfit for the arena. It's a shirt and a pair of pants made of the same stretchy, black, smooth material, very much like a wet suit but slightly looser and thinner. I pull on the pants and put on the shirt which is long sleeved. The pants are closed around my feet so I don't have shoes. I look in the mirror hanging on the wall and see that I look like I'm in tight black footsie pajamas. The sleeves of the shirt ride up a little bit and I pull them back down but while my hand is on my left sleeve I feel a small bump in the fabric. I put pressure on the bump and realize it's a button, when I push the button the outfit instantly turns into a totally different, more useful outfit. I am now wearing a black hoodie over a brown t-shirt, with brown shorts and black shoes. I look in the mirror, it's not the most stylish outfit but it certainly is functional. I am still studying my outfit in the mirror when I notice something in the corner of the room. There is a backpack there I don't know why I didn't notice it before it was in plain sight. Upon closer inspection I see its very small, only about six inches tall and it has clips on the top so it can be hooked onto a bigger backpack if I pick one up at the cornucopia. Without thinking I open it and pull out its contents. A box of matches, a blanket that can either retain heat or release it depending on which side is facing me, a compass, a thermometer, and a piece of paper that read "Arena Description" at the top but was blank below that. I try to fold the piece of paper but it won't fold as if it's made of metal. I put the piece of paper back in the backpack because I hear the buzz that signals it's time to get on my pedestal but before I do I grab the digital watch off the table and put it on. There are no buttons but the screen reads 12:00:00. I step on the pedestal and begin to rise, the arena comes into view, not much of it though. The pedestals and the cornucopia are in a large clearing in what seems to be the middle of the a very dense forest, in all directions are trees and nothing else. Before I can look at anything else (not that there is anything else) Claudius Templesmith booms over our heads, "Welcome tributes, to the 550th Hunger Games!" I suppose he expected us to applaud or something but we just stare upwards as if we will see him floating there yelling down at us, "As promised the Quarter Quell Twist will be announced now!" There was the sound of paper rustling as if he was taking something out of an envelope, "To show that the districts cannot keep safe from the capitol, the people the tributes love most will be sent into the arena a few minutes before them! Each tribute must find and protect their loved one!"

I feel as if Lexi's name just punched me in the face and I almost step off the pedestal to run after her but I remember the mines just in time, it seems that Claudius Templesmith is still talking, "If you are unsure of who will be waiting for you in the arena there is a slip of paper in your pocket with that persons name on it." I take mine out and of course it says Lexi Scott, again I almost step off my pedestal but Claudius Templesmiths voice stops me once again, "Oh dear! It seems there is a second part to this twist," he says and his capitol accent is almost giving me a headache but I'm to focused on how to save Lexi to be annoyed by something so small, "To show the mercy of the capitol there will be a safe point at the end of the arena to which the tributes can take their loved ones. Only the people most loved by the tributes may leave the arena!" Then there is a click and a bright orange timer appears above the Cornucopia.

**Okay guys so there are your twists for you and I know what you're thinking "How did the capitol know who they loved most?" You'll notice that they all mentioned the people they loved most in their interviews...see, I planned ahead. Also I know the second thing you're thinking, "That arena and clothing thing is totally impossible." To you I say: Shut up, it's a book. Any way no more sponsor sign ups and btw I re-wrote the sponsorship chapter so you might want to go re-read that.**

**See ya next chapter.**


	17. Finding Love

**Hey guys sorry for the wait on the chapter, I did some work for my step dad and I've been exhausted. Anyway there was some confusion about Soarin's and Nicole's loved ones and I just wanted to clear things up they are Soarin's sister, Kelly, and Nicole's twin brothers, Matt and Sam. I had to add them in last minute because I got the idea for the quarter quell half-way through writing.**

**PS. Finn's loved one is Darryl which seems weird but its like brotherly love.**

**Enjinia Minol District 3**

The gong rings and my legs are going before my brain knows whats happening. In my brain I'm still on that pedestal, looking at the little slip of paper that was in my pocket that said _Daiku Minol_. My body on the other hand is sprinting full force towards the golden cornucopia. I reach it just two seconds after the careers do. At first I think about running and not bothering with weapons or food, but then I realize that the careers don't seem interested in killing anyone they seem like they are on the same mission as me. The boy from 1 only grabbed a large knife and a large purple backpack before running off into the dense forest. The boy from 2 grabs two swords and a dark green back pack before sprinting off. I realize I'm just standing around and run forward to do the same thing as the boys from 1 & 2. I grab the biggest knife I see and the biggest backpack I can reach before turning and running into the dark dense forest.

**Nicole Black District 5**

I don't know what I was looking for but I was looking for something. The very back of the cornucopia is where they hid the good stuff. Usually the careers got it but this year the careers weren't interested in stuff they were interested in their loved ones, except for that girl from 2 who was throwing knives at anything that moved. I couldn't help but wonder what could possibly be written on her slip. I return to my search making sure to stay low behind the mountain of supplies so the girl from 2 can't see me. I look all around and shove a box out of the way. There it is a small hiking GPS, it's in a small brown cardboard box with a home made label that says, "GPS pre-loaded to find exit spot" I quickly grab the box and shove it in my small back pack. I begin to run for the exit when I realize that I'm in the best part of the cornucopia and have a golden opportunity to get supplies that could save me and my brothers. I look around and see an enormous blue backpack on the wall at the very back of the cornucopia. If the logic of the cornucopia stands it should be the bested stocked backpack in the whole games. I slip it on and realize how incredibly heavy it is, but now that I have it I refuse to let it go.

I turn and peak around the pile of stuff I was hiding behind. The girl from 2 seems to be distracted, hacking up the boy from 11. I make a break for it and start sprinting towards the forest, I'm ten feet away and realize I hear a whistling. A second before it hits me I realize it's a knife. I fall to the ground as fast as I can and feel the knife fly over my head, I see it hit a tree a few feet into the forest. I stand up and start sprinting without looking back. I hear another knife coming but before I can hit the ground I hear a thud and am relieved to see it hit another tree a few feet in front of me. The knife falls to the ground right as I'm passing it and I scoop it up, the back pack probably has a hundred knives in it but now I have one more.

**Soarin Livingston District 1**

I regret only grabbing a knife. It's a big knife, but I've been in the forest 15 minutes and have been attacked by mutts twice. Once was by a small six legged rabbit that turned out to be deadly fast and have razor sharp teeth. The second time wasn't really an attack it was more of a stampede of Rhinoceros sized squirrels. I would have stayed to grab more than a knife but I had to find Kelly. I couldn't stand the thought of her out here alone. I really can't stand the thought of her out here alone now that I know what kind of mutts are out here. She never wanted to train as a career so now it's up to me to protect her. I stop and realize I've been walking with no sense of direction what so ever. I find a fallen log, sit down, and take the compass out of my back pack and find north. As I go to put back the compass I see that the arena description piece of paper is not blank anymore. It now has a few sentences on it. I take it out and start to read,

_Arena 1: 40 square miles of dense forest. Exit point is due North._

I sigh and put the paper back in the back pack. I shoulder the pack and keep walking, my head constantly on a swivel in case I see Kelly.

**Sorry if this chapter was short or ended kind of abruptly. I didn't have a lot of inspiration or anything for it so I had to improvise, but next chapter will be good I promise. Also next chapter I will put up a poll on who you guys want to die first. I know that sounds awful but they are all going to die eventually...well all except one. Anyway review and tell me what you think.**


	18. The Day Before the Night

**So there have been some questions in the reviews and I'm going to try and answer most of them in this chapter. Also one of my readers (I can't believe I have readers) suggested another way to get sponsorship points so if you favorite me OR my story you'll get 3 points but you can't favorite both for points, that would be to many.**

**Anyway, on with the show!**

**Finn Torris District 3**

I took my time at the cornucopia, I wanted to make sure Nicole got out safely. I knew Darryl could handle himself for a few more minutes while I found a good backpack and 2 long swords. When the girl from 2 finally stopped hacking people up and stocked up on knives before running into the forest I crept out to get my share of supplies. When she left I was the only one still at the cornucopia. The only reason she hadn't come after me was because I had been hiding several feet into the forest and the trees were so thick she didn't even come close to seeing me.

There seemed to be nothing but backpacks and weapons in this years cornucopia. Usually there were all kinds of things in there but all I can see is backpacks and weapons. All the way in the back I can see a few cardboard boxes that probably contain fruit or more knives. Either way I didn't have time to browse I had to go find Darryl.

I was stooping at a small spring to get a drink when I heard the first boom. They were starting the cannon count for the blood bath, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM...I looked up at the sky like a nervous squirrel and counted the cannons. BOOM, then silence, I had counted seven. It was a very low number for the bloodbath but considering it was almost entirely one girl, it was pretty impressive...and scary.

I see a fallen log and decide to see whats in my backpack. I sit down and pull off the pack. Before I unzip it I unstrap the swords from my back. I found them each with a black carrying sheath that strapped on your back, I put them on in the shape of an X under the backpack and they were making my back sweaty so I decided to take a break.

I unzip the backpack and look inside. There's a coil of rope, a quarter gallon canteen filled with water, a package of dried beef and a package of dried fruit, there is also a sleeping bag, and an odd contraption that, after fiddling around with it for 5 minutes, I realize is a miniature crossbow that straps onto your wrist. I look at the bottom of the bag and see a small black card board box, when I open it I see about 2 dozen miniature arrows that fit perfectly in the little bow. I strap the bow onto my wrist where it fits perfectly and load one of the miniature arrows. I put the swords back on and I'm about to re-shoulder the backpack when I see a 6-inch knife with a black sheath over the blade in a small side pocket. I don't really have a use for it right now so I just leave it there.

I start to walk again but before I get 5 feet I hear a voice say, "I hope you're not leaving without me."

Without thinking I whip around, fall to my knees behind the log and point my mini-crossbow into the shadowy forest in the direction of the voice. Before I can even think about shooting it though Darryl emerges from the thick trees and grins. I stand up and walk over to him, we do our "beep-boop" hand shake and then I push him into a tree and say, "You scared the shit out of me!"

He laughs and says, "Sorry I couldn't resist you just looked so funny with those big swords on your back, speaking of which is one of those for me?" He crosses his arms and looks expectantly at the swords that extend a foot above my head. I take one off, throw it to him, and he puts it on his back. We are about to leave when I stop and give him the small knife too. It's not much but it's something. After he hooks the sheath of the knife onto his pants we set off again.

**Shine Pattership District 1**

I hear the seven cannon shots and decide that I should take a break. I've been walking since I left the blood bath. I lingered at the cornucopia, Crassus was on my slip and I knew he could take care of himself because he is a career, and he's as good, if not better, than Soarin and me. I couldn't decide whether or not to follow Cherry's example and start killing anything that moved, but before Soarin bolted off he said to me, "Sorry I would stay with you but I have to find Kaylee." That was what kept me from helping Cherry, he made me realize that all of these other tributes have loved ones in the games and if I killed the tributes I might as well be killing their loved ones to. Of course they could make it to the exit point even if their tribute is killed but none of them had weapons or supplies or anything. So without another thought on the matter I grabbed a silver bow and a quiver of matching arrows and ran from the clearing into the dark, dense forest.

BANG!

I'm thrown out of my day dream by a loud sound that splinters the silence following the boom of the cannons. I look around wondering what the sound could possibly be, it sounds similar to a canon but slightly higher pitched. Before I can even guess what it is I hear Claudius Templesmith boom over the arena, "Attention tributes! That sound is the sound of the canon that will fire every time a loved one is killed, this was not a demonstration, one of your beloveds is dead." There is a click and he is gone. I yawn and look around to see if there is a spring or anything nearby. There isn't.

I suppose that some of the tributes might be scared right now that someone they love is dead but Crassus can take care of himself. I don't have to worry to much about him, I just have to find him so we can get to the exit point faster.

I look up and realize that the sky is a bright orange which must mean the sun is going down, even though it's probably only around noon the game makers are trying to get us to sleep so they can unleash the real horrors this arena has in store for us.

**The poll is up for who you want to die first. Also by next chapter I should have the sponsorship thing organized enough to be accepting gifts and stuff so yeah. Also I'm going to my grandmas for a week and I don't know if she has wi-fi so I might not update for a while. Sorry.**

**Anyway review and vote on the poll**


	19. Walking in a Winter Wonderland

**Sorry for the wait on the chapter I was at my grandmas and my whole family was there so I didn't really have time to write. Also about the poll I accidentally set it so that the poll didn't appear on my profile but that should be fixed now so go and vote otherwise I am picking a tribute out of a hat. Anyway I put a little more action into this one but be warned, it starts out kind of slow so just try to stick with it. Review and tell me what you think.**

**Alex Storm District 2**

My eyes snap open when my watch beeps. I don't know how I slept so long but about an hour after it got dark the leaves on the trees became razor sharp and started to fall on my head so I found a small pulled the sleeping bag out of the green backpack I grabbed at the cornucopia and went to sleep.

I was planning on only sleeping 2 or three hours but when my eyes open my watch is beeping and the numbers on it are spinning back to 12:00:00.

At first I don't realize what that means but then I realize that I'm lying in a pile of snow and to my right is a large frozen lake, something that wasn't there when I went to sleep. I'm about to get the arena description paper out of my backpack but I am hit with a wall of cold that feels like a bucket of ice water was poured on my head. I look down and realize my clothes have changed to, I'm now wearing a white winter coat with a white long sleeved T-shirt under it, white gloves, white snow pants and white boots. I imagine that if I pulled my hood up and laid face down in the snow I would be totally invisible. Even though I'm dressed in thick warm clothing it does almost nothing to stop the below freezing temperatures from chilling me to the bone. I reach into my backpack and pull out the thermometer and the arena description paper. The thermometer tells me it's 20 degrees below freezing and that just makes it seem colder.

I look at the arena description paper and see that it has changed, _ Arena 2: 35 square miles of forest 5 miles of lakes, low temperatures, exit point due north. _It's more information than is usually given in the games but I'm glad to have it. I look at the frozen lake to my right and estimate that it's probably about a mile across which means that there are probably five other lakes in this arena. I go to put the paper and thermometer back into the backpack and see the heat blanket, without hesitation I rip it out and put it around my shoulders. Warmth radiates through me for a few seconds but then my body adjusts and I can feel the cold creeping back in. I stand up and stretch my joints, which are stiff from sleeping on the hard ground. I check my watch, 11:53:33, it's only been six and a half minutes. I still have almost 12 hours to spend in this winter wonderland.

After stuffing my sleeping bag back in my backpack I'm about to set off when my stomach rumbles and I realize I have no food and I'm at least 6 miles from the cornucopia, which is to far to go back. I decide to keep going north and if I see any tracks I will follow them and track down some grub.

**Nicole Black District 5**

I have the weird feeling that someone is following me. I stop and look around, I see nothing but snow and big green trees. I'm not surprised it would be pretty easy to hide in the clothes we are wearing but still if someone was stalking me why haven't they done anything yet. I'm weighed down by this huge backpack and I've been distracted for the past two hours following 2 sets of foot prints that I think my brothers made but still nothing has happened.

I kind of wish something would happen. The whole time I've been in the arena I haven't seen or heard anything other than a slight rustling in the trees or the snapping of a twig and it's freaking me out because it seems like something is going to jump out and attack me. I stayed up as late as I could last night, I saw the all seven faces in the sky, both kids from 12, the boy from 11, the boy from 10, both from 9, and the girl 7. A few seconds after the faces faded another face came up from District 12 but it was a little girl, only 7 or 8, not old enough to be a tribute so she must have been the loved one who died.

I am snapped out of my reminiscing by a rustling in the woods directly behind me. I can't take it anymore so I whip out a machete I found in the back pack and hold it in front of me as I investigate the noise. It came from about 10 feet away and I'm trying to keep quiet because I think whoever made the noise is laying face down in the snow to hide from me and doesn't know that I am looking for them. I walk by a tree and accidentally knock one its branches. All of the snow comes pouring off the tree in a mini avalanche that would scare off everything withing a mile. I brush the snow off and try to continue but when I reach the source of the noise all I find is a set of tracks leading in the opposite direction. I think about following the tracks but it seems the person thought ahead because all the snow on the trees has been knocked off and has covered his tracks perfectly.

I turn and sprint in the opposite direction as fast as my legs will carry me.

**Soarin Livingston District 1**

The snow was a blessing at first because Kelly loves the cold. Every year when Winter hit District 1 she was the first one out in the cold and the last one back to the fires inside. So for the first few hours after my watch beeped I was relieved that Kelly would be able to survive while I looked for her, but now that its been 6 hours and all I've had to eat is half of the rabbit I killed yesterday, I want the arena to change so it can get warmer and I can feel my toes. I look at the thermometer, which I discovered was an attachment for my watch, and it says that it's now 22 degrees below freezing. I see a large lake to my left and decide that now would be a good time go get water in case the next arena is a desert or something.

I step up to the frozen lake and with out hesitation stomp my foot as hard as I can into the ice. A jagged hole opens up and my foot falls right into it. Luckily it seems my boots and pants are water proof because my foot and lower leg are still totally dry although considerably colder. I take out the heat blanket from my backpack, wrap it around my leg and stuff it into my boot. It helps a lot but my toes are still numb. I bend down and scoop some water up from the lake with my hands and bring it to my mouth, my gloves also seem to be water proof and it makes me wonder if the whole outfit is.

After satisfying my thirst at the lake and suffering a painful brain freeze from the ice cold water, I dig around in my bag for the compass. My fingers find it but the gloves that I'm wearing make my hands very clumsy and clunky so as I pull my hand out of the backpack the compass flies out towards the lake. I watch in horror as the compass bounces its way 20 feet out to the middle of the lake. Without it I have no idea which way the exit point is. I could use the sun and see which way is west when it sets but I don't know if the game makers put the sun in the same place in every arena.

I have no choice but to venture out on the ice and hope it holds. I step up to the side of the lake, a few feet from where I took the drink of water. I put my foot on the ice and apply pressure...it holds. I double the pressure and the ice still holds but with a low groaning sound. I take a step out onto the ice and put my full weight on it. I hear a faint cracking and I immediately move from that spot. I stand still for a few seconds and hear silence but then after a another 4 or 5 seconds I hear the cracking sound again. I figure out that as long as I keep moving the ice shouldn't crack.

I begin my perilous journey out to the small silver compass. I try to take long strides and moves quickly but some spots on the ice are weaker than others so I have to move in an odd spiral around the compass moving closer and closer every time I walk around it. I eventually get close enough to grab it but if I stop walking the ice will break so as I pass I try to bend down and pick it up but this is easier said than done. It's difficult to bend down while you are walking and my gloves make my hands clumsy so its hard to grasp the small device.

On my third pass I'm finally able to grab it but as I stand back up from my crouching position I trip over my own feet and it flies out of my hand again. _Great, _I think, _ just when I had it, I lose it. By the time I get a chance to look at it the arena will have changed again and I'll fall in the lake. _This obviously won't happen because I still have at least four and a half hours till the arena changes and even then its doubtful that there will be a lake in this same place. I watch the compass bounce farther away from me and listen to the noise it makes when it hits the ice, _clink_ and then a long pause as it arcs over the ice _clink_ another long pause, but the compass loses energy and doesn't bounce as high so the clinks come closer together, _clink _barley a second long pause and then _clink._ The compass rolled a little bit on its side and then fell over and came to a stop, but I wasn't thinking about the compass anymore I was thinking about something my dad had told my sister and me when we were little.

_It was a rainy day and Kelly and I were so bored that we were annoying our father, "Dad will you play this with us?" Kelly and I were asking him to play an old board game called Monopoly. We had found it in his study along with something that looked like a yellow gun but when you pulled the trigger only little orange foam darts came out. He looked up from the book he was read and frowned at us, Kelly had already opened up the game and was thumbing through the instruction book while I was pointing the yellow gun around like a secret agent, "What do you think you're doing with those! Those are antiques!" he was almost yelling and we could tell he was furious because he threw his book down on the floor. Kelly looked like she was going to cry when he snatched the game up from in front of her. Only when she and I were walking out of the room heads low in shame did he feel sorry for lashing out at us. He called us back in and told us to sit down in the big leather arm chair and wait for him to find something. Kelly and I were both so small that we easily could sit side by side in the large chair. We sat and watched as my father pace back and forth along his wall of books that neither of us had ever bothered to read. He finally found what he was looking for and pulled out an enormous white book entitled "Mastering the Lost Art of Morse Code" he dropped the massive book on the coffee table in front of us and grinned as if he had just given us a bag of candy. We looked up at him expectantly and he just went on grinning and said, "Well go on, open it up!" we both took a corner of the book and flipped it open to a random page, it was filled with all sorts of symbols like lines and dots. Neither of us had any idea what it was so we just looked back up at our father. He finally seemed to realize that I was 7 and Kelly was 5, so he explained that Morse code was a secret code that the military used hundreds of years ago but it was lost when Panem was formed. We still didn't get the point and he explained that since nobody knew Morse code anymore if we learned it we could have our own secret language to talk to each other with, it could go threw walls, you could send up smoke signals with Morse code, you could even blink to each other across a class room. Kelly and I were pretty excited so we hobbled off carrying the monstrous book with us. To this day we both know perfect Morse code. The clinking of the compass as it bounced had tapped out the letter Z in Morse code and that made me realize how I could find Kelly._

**CRACK**

I'm snapped out of my memories by a loud sound that at first I don't recognize. I look around to see what could have made it but then I realize that I have been standing in the same spot for almost 5 minutes. The ice is starting to split apart and it's creating a chain reaction that is splitting the ice in the direction of the compass. Before I get a chance to think I begin sprinting towards the small silver device. Now that I know I can find Kelly it is extra important that I hang on to that compass. My feet fall hard on the ice and every where they land a new fissure appears in the already splitting surface of the lake. Luckily the compass didn't bounce far and I close the distance in a matter of seconds, unluckily the second I grab the compass is the second the splitting surface of the ice catches up with me and I fall straight down into the lake.

The cold is so immediate, so powerful, so...cold, that every muscle in my body tenses up and freezes where it is, I can't figure out which way is up, I can't think about how I might be drifting to the side and back under solid ice, all I can think about is the horrible, painful, gripping cold that I've been thrust into. Not only is it cold but it's as if a giant hand has seized my entire body and is twisting and squeezing as hard as it can. My feet touch something hard and somewhere in those depths of my brain that aren't being frozen to death I recognize that it's the ground and that if I push up I might escape this icy hell. I push as hard as my tensed muscles will let me and soar upwards through the frozen abyss. I can feel the hope growing inside me that I might just live. Until I hit ice. It seems that I did drift to the side and under solid ice because my head slams into the hard surface of the lake, which only adds to the delirium that I have from the icy water. I begin to sink back down but the same part of my brain that recognized the ground awakens again and this time with a passion. My feet kick and my arms extend, I thrust my fist upward as hard as I can and hear a loud crack. At least as loud as the one I heard before I fell in, but it's not enough. The ice still isn't broken and I am once again sinking to the bottom, _this is it, _I think, _I always thought I would make it out of the games but here I am dying from exposure, not even a tribute. Sorry Kelly I guess I won't make it home...Kelly...didn't she need something...there was something about a compass...and a code, _I feel my feet rest on the hard thing again but this time I'm not cold, I actually feel warm and cozy, _wasn't I supposed to do something for Kelly...I think she needed my help...what was it...KELLY. _My eyes snap open and I push off the ground with new found energy, the warm feeling is gone but the cold hasn't gotten all the way to the bone yet. I fly upwards my fist extended and at the last second I thrust it upward with all the strength in my body and feel the ice crumple above it. I feel air on my wrist, freezing cold air. I punch my other fist through the ice and pull my self up. My head breaks the water and I gasp in a huge breath. As quickly as my frozen muscles will let me I drag the rest of my rigid body out of the lake and onto its firm surface. I know I can't stop here though, unless I keep moving I will simply fall back under and it's that thought that keeps my arms pulling me towards shore which is only a few feet away because of how far I drifted.

As soon as my body is up on the shore I collapse and just lay there breathing heavily for hours. It turns out the rest of my outfit was water proof because I am totally dry now that I'm on shore. I lay there for so long that night falls and the anthem plays but no faces show up in the sky tonight. After the anthem I still don't get up, in fact I don't get up until another hour later when the arena changes around me and I think that I should find something to eat so I don't die. Before I get up though, I look over at my right hand, the one that I used to punch through the ice with, and open up my still clenched fist. Inside is the small silver compass.

**Alex Storm District 2**

I was doing just fine until the arena changed. I was tracking what I thought was a deer that left tracks in the snow and I could tell I was close because the foot prints were getting more and more clear. I saw up ahead that they rounded around a tree and below the tree I could see the little hooves standing totally still. I drew one of my swords and quietly walked up to the corner. I counted to 5 and jumped around the tree already swinging my sword from over my head. The deer look up at me just in time to have its head severed. I smiled, proud of my work and proud that I would have a decent meal, but just then my watch beeped and the world around me changed. It went from snowy and cold to sunny and warm in the blink of eye. I looked around and realized I was no longer in a small clearing where the ground was covered with snow. I was now in a very big clearing where the ground was covered in leaves. Trees were still all around me but now they didn't have any leaves on them and they were spaced much farther apart. I looked back down and was relieved to see that the deer I killed was still there. I was about to sit down and start skinning it when I heard a low growling. I looked up and about five feet away from me was a wolf, its ears pressed to its head and its hair standing on end. It was clearly ready to attack, but I wasn't about to give up my dinner to some lone wolf that thought he was a big shot. I drew one of my swords and held it in front of me, I was about to charge the wolf and scare it off but as soon as I lifted my foot I heard another growl. From behind a bush came out 2 more wolves both bearing there teeth and growling and from another bush to my left a fourth wolf came creeping out, in the same attack position as the other three.

"Well...shit." I say and I slowly start to back away from the deer and put my sword away. Just as the blade clicked into the sheath the one that I had seen first, who was clearly the pack leader, let out a loud bark which was enough motivation for me to take off sprinting in the opposite direction as fast as I could. I expected the wolves to let me run and stay to eat the deer, unfortunately I was wrong. All four wolves came tearing after me through the woods. The only way I was able to keep them from catching me was by rounding sharp corners. They kept falling over when they tried to make the sharp turns because the pads on their paws didn't give them enough traction to stay standing. Once I rounded such a sharp turn that two of them went tumbling down a hill and gave up on the chase. The third one slipped so badly he fell into a river. And then I was left with only one, I could have taken it when we were facing off and I had my sword out but now it has the advantage and if I were to stop it would tackle me way before I got my sword out. I looked around for options, the river wouldn't work again this one was to smart for that, but then I saw a fallen log that was braced against a standing tree. It only had a small hole between it and the ground and I saw my opportunity.

The wolf was so close behind me that it was able to nip at my heels. Get to the fallen tree and see a thin tree that's still standing only a few feet from it. When I'm a foot from the fallen tree I grab the thin one and turn a 180 as sharply as I can, the wolf tries to make the turn with me but it slips on the leaves and falls over but before it can get up I continue and make a full 360. I raise my foot and kick the wolf right in the stomach, it slides on the fallen leaves right under the tree and is wedged there. I see it struggling to escape but it is stuck and there's nothing it can do. I waste no time drawing my sword and approaching the struggling animal. I don't pause to pity it because I know if I do I will let it live. I raise my sword above my head bring it down as hard as I can onto the wolfs neck.

**I know this one was really long but I wrote it on the flight back from Cape Cod so I was super bored and figured why not? Anyway I'm going to try and plan out the chapters a little bit more so there is more action and suspense. One last thing, if you found the adjectives during the ice scene repetitive just let me know and I will start using a thesaurus while I write.**


	20. coincidences part 1

**OK I am a little mad at you guys. No one has voted on the poll yet and if you don't I'll probably just kill off everyone and have Cherry win HOW WOULD YOU LIKE THAT! I'll give you guys one last chance though, you have 3 days from the time I post this chapter to vote. Even one vote will decide it so don't think it won't count or anything. Also I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry that I haven't updated its just I was at my grandmas and then I was school shopping and then school started and I have about 70 megatons of work and I was trying to watch all nine seasons of scrubs on netflix. I'm so sorry but please don't give up on me and thank you to all who kept reviewing and asking for updates because that really motivated me to do this chapter.**

**So yeah...on with the show!**

**Finn Torris District 3 **

It's hard to stalk somebody when leaves crunch under every step you take. I guess it's not really my steps that are making all the noise, Darryl is the one that's creeping along the ground, although my position doesn't exactly make it easy to hide either. The trees around me have lost every single one of their leaves, which are now beneath Darryl's feet.

In the first arena it was easy to follow Nicole. It turns out she was only about a mile away from the point I met Darryl and I almost ran right into her. Literally, she was bent over her backpack looking for something and I almost walked right into her. The only reason I didn't was that Darryl yanked me back by grabbing the neck of my shirt. We hid in the trees until she walked out of ear shot and then I told Darryl about her and our night together_. _After I had finished talking he stood up and said "Dude! We have to follow her!" I was confused, I thought he would want to go straight to the exit point so he could go home, "What if something happens to her? She could get hurt and then her loved ones would be stuck out here all alone." Before I could answer he had already taken off in the direction we saw her leave.

I had to sprint to catch up with him and by the time I did I was out of breath and had to lean against a tree. He was stopped for some reason but he heard me breathing and turned around to look at me. Before I could say anything he put a finger to his lips and pointed to a small clearing about 5 feet in front of us. Nicole was sitting on a rock in a small patch of sunlight, her black hair cascaded down her shoulders and her electric blue eyes shone brightly even from so far away. She looked so beautiful I almost walked over to her but Darryl grabbed my shoulder and dragged me away.

In the moment that I saw her I knew what I had to do, and I knew that Darryl would help me no matter what, "We have to protect her." I said before he could even open his mouth, "She has two little brothers that need to get out of here and we need to make sure that happens." Without hesitation Darryl agreed and from then on we had been following Nicole and making sure nothing came near her.

My dad had told me a little bit about the traps he made and, to the game makers disappointment, I was able to find and deactivate almost everyone that Nicole came near. I also discovered that I was small enough to follow her from the trees by jumping from branch to branch. Darryl on the other had was much bigger and had to walk on the ground as quietly as he could, on the upside he was big enough to kill almost every mutt that came near Nicole. Once in the second arena a flock of big black birds flew right into my face which caused me to make a lot of noise in my tree Nicole heard and started walking towards us but Darryl and I had already taken off I knocked all the snow off the trees I was jumping on to cover our tracks.

Now we are trying to follow her as quietly as possible but Darryl sounds like a screw driver going through a pencil sharpener when he walks. I try to ignore it and imagine that its not that bad but it's no use. Leaves crunch like potato chips every time he takes a step and I'm sure it can be heard at least 50 feet away. I don't know how Nicole hasn't noticed it yet but I can't take it so I jump down from my low branch and call him over. I'm about to tell him how loud he is but before I can he says, "I know I'm way to loud but what can I do?"

"I don't know? Try not stepping on the leaves," but even as I say this I realize how stupid it sounds. Leaves literally cover every inch of the ground we walk on. "What if you tried to climb the trees with me? The branches are thicker than the past arenas they might support you."

Darryl opens his mouth to respond but before he can say a word we hear a _beep beep_ in Nicole's direction. Darryl sighs we know the sound. Several times while we have been following her she has taken something out of her backpack and sat down for 2 or 3 hours while she fiddles with it. Neither of us has been able to get close enough to get a glimpse of it but its the first time I've heard of electronics being in the arena.

Usually the beeping means we have to sit around for a few hours and wait for her to start walking again, but this time I think it might be an advantage. I look at my watch and realize its only a 3 hours before the arena changes again. I turn to Darryl and say, "Lets use this time to do a sweep for traps and mutts in a circle around her and by the time we are done the arena will probably have changed again and you can walk without sounding like a car compacter." He frowns at my joke but agrees with the plan. We head in opposite directions looking for traps and mutts that might hurt Nicole. Darryl goes in a wider circle than I do because he'll be walking and making more noise. I climb a tree and start to jump from branch to branch taking time to survey the area with every jump. In no time at all I have circled half way around Nicole. I reach the point where Darryl and I were supposed to meet and start to hack at a tree while I wait. The air in this arena is brisk and every second I spend in it I seem to get a little colder. I think of the pictures I've seen of district 7 during the fall and imagine this must be exactly what it looks like. The sword is so sharp that it is slicing through the trees like butter and barley making a sound, so it's easy to hear something snap and then a sound like someone is raking leaves. The sound paralyzes me at first but then I realize it could be a mutt or another tribute so I turn to re-climb the tree but before I can even find a hand hold I hear the unmistakable cry of a young boy.

**Nicole Black District 5**

Running towards loud noises may not be the smartest thing to do in the hunger games. It's to late to turn back now though. I'm already sprinting full force towards the huge crash I heard. I could turn around but I'm making such a racket by running on these leaves that I would be heard by anything with ears. Besides this might be my only chance to catch whoever or whatever has been following me.

My train of thought disappears and is replaced by pure adrenaline when I see what made the large crash. I throw my self to the ground and attempt to grasp at something to stop my momentum before I slide right into the huge pit. The leaves offer no traction whatsoever and I just continue to slide with my hands groping around for something to latch onto. My feet are inches from the hole and everything leaves my head except instinct. I grab my knife from my pocket and jam it into the earth. It stops me so quickly that it almost rips my arm out of its socket but I am able to deflect some of the force onto my bicep.

I rip the knife out of the ground and push myself up. The sprint was exhausting but adrenaline is still pulsing through me so I am not yet winded. Without hesitation I peer over the hole and to my surprise see a scared kid. He's probably 15 or 16 and big. Despite his size he has a terrified look on his face and then I hear a light clinking, like chains bumping against each other. I know why this kid is scared, he is in a common game maker trap, the clinking means a door is being raised that will unleash a terrible creature that has only one desire, to kill him.

I know from past hunger games that the door takes at least 20 seconds to open to build suspense for the audience. The kid is pressed against the side of the hole and hasn't even noticed me. I don't understand why he is scared theses traps are dangerous but not deadly as long as you have a weapon. Then I see a black sword on the ground a few feet from the hole and realize he doesn't have one.

Without hesitation I toss my knife into the hole, his hand snaps out and grabs it before it hits the ground. He looks up and says, "Darryl."

I glance at the door and see its 3 quarters of the way open, "Hi, I'm-"

"Nicole, yeah I know all about you." he says and winks. The scared boy is gone, now that he is armed Darryl has become a confident man and to my surprise a wide grin spreads across his face as the door opens entirely and a purplish blur leaps out at him. He side steps easily and stabs before he has even stopped moving. The creature is now pinned to the other side of the cave and we can see its 4-inch claws. I recognize it as a scratcher, my mom invented them, they give you minor cuts on major arteries all over your bodies until you bleed out.

Darryl watches with the same wild grin as the scratcher turns to dust and falls to the ground. He looks up at me as he wipes the knife on his shirt and says, "So Nicole how about a little help getting out of this hole?" I'm frozen by the display of speed and agility I just saw, not to mention the fact that this guy knows my name, "I'm here with Finn," he says which explains how he knows my name. I reach into my pack and grab some rope. I loop it around a tree and throw it into the hole. A minute later Darryl is standing in front of me dusting himself off and re-shouldering his sword as he says, "Alright now that you found me lets go find Finn so we don't have to keep stalking you."

**Sorry that it ended so abruptly but the thing is that this chapter would have been super long and I really had to update other wise I would have started to lose readers. So go vote on who you want to die or I'll just kill whoever I want to.**


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